As in every sector, B2B sales have certain features that all prospective sellers should offer in order to be effective and productive. Here are some tips to help you succeed in your career.
Get to know your customer, use whatever online means are available to you to learn in depth their needs, tendencies and preferences. It's important for the seller to interpret not only whatever information they can find on the internet, but also the customer's online movements in order to draw conclusions. For example, what information they look for on your website, which newsletters they open and how they conduct their purchases.
Don't waste time on a customer who is not ready to buy. Even if a purchase is not completed at a certain time, a smart move is to work with your company's marketing department in order to focus together on the customer's buying habits and to feed them with the appropriate information.
Invest in your communication skills and, at the same time, try to match the needs of your business with those of your customer's. Successful B2B sellers tailor their sales style to that of each customer individually, being aware of their background.
Of course, the environment is constantly evolving and, therefore, the B2B sales sector is changing rapidly. Today, WHO is selling is of more significance than WHAT is being sold. The most successful seller is the one who provides the customer with information that will help beat the competition, save money and raise profits in ways not previously considered. If there is full understanding of the financial factors which drive the customer's decisions, then the seller can display the appropriate information and present himself as being an expert in the situation thus strengthening his credibility.
As mentioned above, the environment is constantly evolving and B2B sellers have to adapt to survive. The rules of the game have already changed in that buyers now also have a say in the selling process. The flow of information is constant and everyone has access to it. In the past, the sellers were in control of the available information and, as such, the buyers looked to the sellers to provide that information. Now this information is available online and there is no particular need for the buyers to look to companies to find data. The sellers are losing the advantage of controlling the conversation and influencing the buyer as they already know all the details about the product or service before coming into contact with the seller thus applying, in this way, new rules to the game of selling and buying products and services.
There is therefore a need to change the rules on the part of sellers as well. Technology is clearly on their side; an illustrative example is the use of CRM software (Customer Relationship Management), which allows the user to enter data and store information about each company and each customer. Furthermore, the use of digital media serves customers extremely well, as a significant percentage of them prefer to buy online. Finally, sellers need to focus not only on turning a customer into a potential buyer but also on other parts of the process, such as follow-up services and long-term relationships.
In applying all of the above, you yourselves become part of the product or service thus adding value to the purchase. The customer is not only buying that which you are selling but, in a way, you as well. It is time therefore to move forward and to constantly respond to the increasing new demands of your potential customers.
