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The buyer journey tends to be longer in B2B sales; however, those who offer value and consulting are ones who close the deal at the end of the process.
Why? Because through the consulting process, you not only get the advantage of learning your prospects direct needs, but you have the opportunity to build a personal relationship with them.
Here are five tips to help B2B sales reps close the deal quicker:
Do your research:
When a lead comes into your database, it is crucial that you do your research before reaching out. Have the answers to the following questions before picking up the phone:
- Who is the company?
- How large is the company?
- What are their needs?
- How can you meet these needs?
Ask engaging questions:
The goal of a sales call is to get the prospect talking. The more you know about them, the more effective you will be. For this reason, ask open-ended questions that get them engaged. Try asking the following:
- Who does your company seek to serve?
- What are your companies goals?
- What has your company done in the past to reach these goals?
The point is to make the customer feel that you are invested in the conversation, not just trying to close the sale and call it a day. Build questions based on the responses they give you and provide as much value as possible.
Listen carefully:
Sometimes this can be difficult. In nature, Sales reps tend to be more impatient and aggressive- its what makes them successful! However, it is essential to listen to the customer's responses before planning the next question out in your brain. Listening will help you personalize your pitch to meet their needs.
Add value:
In B2B sales, prospects come to you because they need help in a specific area of their business. Whether that be automation, sales, marketing etc. they need consulting in some form or another.
Take the opportunity to teach them new information based on their needs. Taking this extra step will prove that you are knowledgeable, credible and qualified. If you can get the prospect to walk away from the conversation feeling more educated, they will feel more inclined to trust you with their business.
Be prepared for a curveball:
You might be comfortable asking and answering a routine set of questions. However, you will always have that one customer who asks a question you don’t know the answer too. Always be prepared for the unknown!
Of course, the last thing you want to say is “I don't know”. Instead, try saying something such as:
- “Let me be sure I understand which information you are looking for…”
- “Based on my experience, my thoughts are…”
- “Great question.” Let me connect you with XYZ, as they are an expert on this topic and can provide more detailed information….”
Quit Rushing Pen to Paper:
No one likes a salesperson shoving a pitch down their throat. Making a large purchase for a business requires thought. While you don’t want to forget to follow up with them, you need to give them time to think their decision over. Rushing a prospect to sign an agreement or contract will make them uncomfortable and more than likely turn them away from the idea of doing business with you.
Practice:
While your pitch should be personalized around your prospects needs, you should have a pretty standard script to help direct the conversation. Have several different “scripts” and practice them out loud. Reading it will never be the same as physically doing it.
Do you find that your business needs help with lead generation? Are the sales and marketing teams collaborating to generate qualified leads? Do your sales reps follow the same key messaging in their scripts? Lead generation, internal communications and developing strong messaging are just a few of the areas our team dominates in.
Give Marketing Eye a call today for a free consultation where our experts will asses what you are doing, and suggest how you can do it better!
