As a sales rep, it can be easy to get discouraged about what actually works in the field. A lot of advice you read online is based on personal anecdotes, and not necessarily backed up by statistics.
So we researched for you and found 16 of the best tips for B2B sales reps to close more deals.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Understand your customer’s pain points. |
| 2. Tailor your pitch to address their needs. |
| 3. Build strong relationships with clients. |
| 4. Utilize effective communication techniques. |
| 5. Offer value and solutions, not just products. |
| 6. Demonstrate your expertise and credibility. |
| 7. Use social proof to build trust. |
| 8. Follow up consistently and promptly. |
| 9. Overcome objections with confidence. |
| 10. Focus on the long-term relationship. |
1. Perfect Your Elevator Pitch
It’s all about the pitch.
This is your chance to show the buyer why they should choose you over your competitors and what makes you different from them. If you don’t have a killer pitch, it’s likely that no matter how great your product or service may be, the sale will go elsewhere.
In this article, we’ll discuss how to perfect your pitch and make sure that when it comes time for you to sell yourself and your business (and hopefully secure another customer), there will be no hesitation on the part of prospects in making their decision.
They’ll simply want whatever solution is being presented by sales reps who understand how important it is for them build relationships with potential clients via social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook!
Enhancing your B2B sales strategy involves more than just closing deals. Learn from the 13 Greatest Examples of B2B Email Marketing to create impactful email campaigns that resonate with your target audience.
2. Ask The Right Questions
When talking to your prospect, ask questions that will help you understand their needs. You can do this by asking them questions like:
- How do you see yourself using the product?
- If I were to describe the product to someone who had never seen it before, how would I explain it?
- What are some of your biggest challenges right now?
Asking these types of questions allows you to know exactly what your prospect wants and needs from the product or service that is being sold.
For example, if a customer says they want better visibility into their inventory levels, then this would be an opportunity for a sales rep to explain how their company’s solution.
Helps businesses track their inventory levels in real-time without any manual work required on behalf of employees.
If they say they want better communication with customers and partners through social media channels such as Facebook or Twitter, then this would be an opportunity for another sales rep at another company (or even within the same organization).
Who specializes in social media marketing services like blogging about new products/services being offered by other companies–which could ultimately lead into converting more leads over time due having good relationships with potential customers.
Generating demand for your B2B product is essential for successful sales. Explore the 12 Ways to Generate Demand for Your B2B Product to discover effective strategies that can attract and engage potential clients.
3. Answer Objections With Confidence
Objections are the bane of a sales rep’s existence. Sales reps spend countless hours preparing for objections.
But no matter how prepared they are, it always feels like these pesky little nuggets of negativity poke holes through their well-rehearsed responses and leaves them feeling defeated.
However, objectors aren’t all bad news if approached correctly, they can be used as an opportunity to build rapport and show your prospect that you’re a knowledgeable person who understands why they’re asking questions or expressing concerns about your product or service.
Here’s how:
Ask questions instead of making assumptions about what the prospect wants or needs.
Use humor when appropriate to disarm the prospect’s tension over his or her objection (but don’t use humor just because it’s easy).
For example: “Are you saying ‘no’ because this software isn’t good enough?” could lead to a discussion about how other aspects of software might need improving before buying can happen and then introduce new solutions that meet both parties’ needs!
4. Use The “No” As An Opportunity To Follow Up
As a B2B salesperson, one of the most important skills you can develop is your ability to use the “no” as an opportunity to follow up.
The best way to do this is by using a combination of personal emails, phone calls, gifts, invitations, and products to further engage with prospects who are not ready to buy from your company at this time.
In addition to following up on those initial interactions after a meeting or presentation (which we’ll discuss in more detail later), here’s how you can keep in touch with prospects even if they’re not ready for engagement just yet:
Send them something nice in the mail like an article that pertains directly relates to the product or service they expressed interest in during the initial outreach process.
Throw together an event where relevant people will meet face-to-face and discuss ideas surrounding topics relevant to buying decisions within their industry.
This isn’t always necessary but it’s helpful when trying to get someone familiarized with who else exists within their space so that there’s less uncertainty when making future decisions about vendors/suppliers/partners etcetera.)
To optimize your B2B sales approach, understanding both best and worst practices in marketing is crucial. Discover insights from the 16 Best and Worst Practices in B2B Marketing to refine your sales tactics and stand out in your industry.
5. Sell The Benefits, Not The Features
It’s easy to focus on the features of your product, but customers care about how it benefits them. You need to learn how to sell the benefits of your product or service instead of just listing features.
Before we get into that though, let’s take a step back and make sure we’re all on the same page as far as what a benefit is versus a feature.
Benefits are what your customer wants (e.g., “increased revenue”), while features are what your product does (e.g., “integrates with Salesforce”).
Benefits sell better than features because they resonate with people at an emotional level, whereas features can seem like boring bullet points on paper or PowerPoint slides that don’t excite anyone in real life.
It might sound obvious now, but many salespeople don’t realize this concept until they start selling for real, and then it’s too late!
The key here is keeping focused on why customers would want something before diving into talking about what it does for them the easiest way to do this is by asking yourself questions throughout each conversation until you hit upon some kind of pain point or solution:
- What problem does my customer have?
- How can I solve that problem?
- Does their current solution solve that problem poorly or not at all? And if so…
- Would another solution solve this better than theirs without breaking any existing systems/processes/etc.?
6. Personalize Your Email Subject Lines
One of the best ways to engage your prospect is by personalizing an email subject line. This can be done by using the recipient’s name, their company name, their industry and job title, or location, or even by referencing a previous conversation you had with them.
Using these types of words in your emails will make it feel as if you are just one of them talking about things that you both know about and care about. This personalization can help increase open rates which leads to increased click-through rates leading to more sales!
7. Learn And Utilize The Prospect’s Name Throughout The Process
Throughout the process, use their name. This is especially important in your emails and voicemails. It’s a small thing but can make all the difference when you’re trying to get someone on board with your product or service.
The next time you leave a voicemail for someone, instead of saying “Hi, this is Mary Smith” say “Hi Mary, this is Mary Smith.”
Keep using their name throughout the process because once they hear themselves being called by their name multiple times throughout contact with you (and not just once), they’ll start to feel more comfortable with making decisions about what you have to offer them.
Implementing effective marketing strategies on a tight budget can greatly impact your B2B sales success. Check out these 9 Effective B2B Marketing Tips for Tight Budgets to maximize your resources and achieve better results.
8. Clean Up Your Social Media Presence
Social media is a great tool for B2B sales reps, but it can also be one of the biggest time wasters. If you don’t keep your social media profiles clean, your prospect may not take you seriously.
First, remove any posts that are not relevant to your brand or industry from all of your social media profiles.
For example, if you’re selling accounting software, then there’s no need to post photos of yourself at the beach or in an exotic location it just makes you look unprofessional.
Second, remove any posts that aren’t relevant to the type of business that might buy your products or services (e.g., if someone sells accounting software but only posts about how much they love dogs).
Last but not least: Use a third-party tool like Social Report or Simply Measured instead of manually scrolling through each profile every day and making sure everything is up-to-date.”
9. Tailor Your Approach For Each Prospect And Decision-Maker
The first step in tailoring your approach is identifying the different needs of each prospect and decision-maker.
For example, if you’re selling to an individual who is responsible for a large budget but doesn’t have much authority to make decisions on their own, you will have to convince them that they need help with the process.
On the other hand, if your prospect has no budget or authority but still wants some kind of solution.
Then it may be more important for you to demonstrate how easy it would be for them to implement a solution by themselves (and thus avoid having to go through any approval process).
10. Never Rely On Your Notes, Keep A Virtual Record Of Prospect Conversations And Interactions
You should never rely on your notes to keep track of everything that happens in your prospect interactions and sales process. For example, if you receive an email from a prospect, write down the date and time that you received it, but don’t just remember it in your head.
You should record that information in a CRM or other digital note-taking app so that when you look back at previous interactions with a specific person or company, you can see all of their responses by looking at your records.
When using this strategy for keeping track of prospect conversations and interactions, I recommend using Salesforce as it is one of the most popular CRMs out there today (and many users already have access to this software).
If you don’t know much about Salesforce yet then I highly suggest checking out my article here where I go over how to set up an account for yourself: [How To Set Up SalesForce](https://www.bloglovin.com/@baebirch6/how-to-set-up-salesforce)
11. Highlight Past Experiences To Prove Competency Or Relatability
When you’re trying to close a sale, you want to make sure that the prospect feels like they can trust you. One way to do this is by highlighting past experiences where you’ve been in their shoes.
Whether it was an issue with their product or a struggle they faced, showing that you know exactly what they’re going through and how it was resolved is a great way for prospects to feel more comfortable doing business with someone who has been there before.
If any problems arose from the situation or if anything didn’t go according to plan, make sure those details are mentioned as well so the prospect understands why these issues may have happened in other situations as well.
12. Do Whatever It Takes To Build Trust
Trust is the most important component of a successful sales relationship. Without trust, you’ll never earn the customer’s business and make any money.
Trust can be hard to build, so don’t expect results overnight. But if you want to close more deals, there are certain actions you can take on an ongoing basis that can help develop trust with your prospects:
Be honest. If your prospect asks you something specific or asks what your product does, be as honest as possible in answering their questions.
Don’t exaggerate or embellish anything just straightforwardly give them the facts so they know exactly what they’re getting into when they buy from you or use your services.
Be open and transparent about everything related to both yourself and the product/service being sold (including costs).
If something isn’t going well with either one of these areas of business then transparency goes out of the window and customers start worrying about whether or not this organization has their best interests at heart…
And why would anyone want to do business with someone who doesn’t have their best interests at heart?
Making informed decisions is key for B2B sales reps. Learn how to utilize uncertainty for better outcomes in marketing by exploring How Better Decisions Using Uncertainty Can Lead to Great Marketing Results.
13. Build Rapport Immediately
Your job as a sales rep is to create a great experience for the prospect. Your job is not to try and close the deal on your first visit, or even your second or third visit.
You need to build rapport with the prospect so that they like you and trust you before they are willing to buy from you. If you want people to trust your product, then they must know who you are and what motivates you.
So how do we build rapport? Here are some tips:
Be polite and respectful at all times – this includes saying ‘please’ when asking questions, saying ‘thank-you’ after receiving an answer, being friendly while making eye contact (which shows interest), and listening carefully without interrupting (this demonstrates respect).
Keeping good posture so that both parties can maintain eye contact easily without feeling uncomfortable due to physical discomfort; etc.).
14. Never Be Afraid To Take A Step Back And Listen
The most important thing you can do as a salesperson is listening. Listening is the first step in any sales process, and it’s what will allow you to understand your prospect’s needs and objections. If you don’t learn how to listen effectively, then you probably won’t close that deal.
When I was younger and starting as a sales rep, I used to make all sorts of assumptions about my prospects based on their company name or industry.
This was a huge mistake because those assumptions were often wrong! When we start talking about selling our products or services, we need to take each interaction as an opportunity for learning instead of trying to sell something before hearing what the prospect needs from us first.
Listening has been one of my strengths over time; if someone tells me about their problem, I try hard not just to solve it but also to come up with ideas for improving their entire experience (or even helping them avoid problems altogether).
15. Use Scarcity And Urgency In Your Favors When Appropriate
Here’s a fun fact: buyers are more likely to respond to scarcity and urgency. In other words, if you want your deal to close faster, use scarcity and urgency in your favor.
When you have limited time offers or limited quantity offers available that are relevant to the buyer’s needs (and when appropriate), these two factors can help push them over the edge into making an immediate purchase decision.
Urgency is another powerful selling tool for B2B sales reps because it helps move deals along quickly so that you can close them sooner rather than later.
Urgency is also a great way for closing deals without asking for money upfront from potential clients who might not be able to afford what you’re selling but could become loyal customers after buying from you once or twice without being required upfront payment of some kind.
Scarcity can take on many different forms depending on what type of product or service it relates to but here are some examples:
Limited Time Offers – You may have heard about this before when shopping online at places like Amazon where they say “This item has been discounted 20% off today only!”
This tactic works well because customers want something now rather than later so they’ll buy right away instead of waiting until tomorrow when prices might go back up again…or worse yet never buying at all!
16. Don’t Allow Fear Of Rejection To Prevent You From Making Calls
Don’t allow fear of rejection to prevent you from making calls. The reality is that not every prospect is going to buy your product or service, and that’s okay! You can’t control what other people do or don’t do, so don’t beat yourself up when a lead doesn’t convert.
This isn’t just about overcoming your fears and anxieties it also means understanding how best to handle objections from prospects as well.
We have all heard the saying: “It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.” This applies in B2B sales as much as anywhere else, so don’t be afraid to ask for the sale if you believe it will close!
When in doubt about whether or not something is appropriate or off limits with a prospect (and no matter what industry you are selling into), always err on the side of asking rather than assuming anything.
Chances are, they will appreciate your candor and respect your tenacity even more than if they were never asked at all.
Conclusion
Follow these sales tips to make sure you’re doing everything you possibly can to close more deals. The most important thing is to keep learning and growing as a sales leader so that you can continue bringing value to your clients and your company.
Further Reading
B2B Sales Tips: Strategies to Boost Your Business Short Description: Explore effective strategies and tips for boosting your B2B sales efforts and achieving better results.
13 Killer B2B Sales Questions to Close More Deals Short Description: Learn about essential B2B sales questions that can help you close deals and build strong customer relationships.
B2B Sales Strategies: Proven Techniques for Success Short Description: Discover proven B2B sales strategies that can enhance your approach and lead to increased sales success.
FAQs
What are some effective B2B sales tips for improving performance?
Effective B2B sales tips include building strong relationships, understanding your target audience, and tailoring your pitch to address specific client needs.
How can asking the right questions enhance B2B sales?
Asking strategic questions during B2B sales interactions can uncover client pain points, demonstrate your understanding, and lead to more personalized solutions.
What role do B2B sales strategies play in achieving business goals?
B2B sales strategies help align your sales efforts with your business goals, ensuring a more focused and effective approach to generating revenue.
How do B2B sales tips and strategies evolve with changing market trends?
B2B sales tips and strategies need to adapt to changing market trends, incorporating new technologies and approaches to remain relevant and competitive.
What are some key elements of successful B2B sales interactions?
Key elements of successful B2B sales interactions include active listening, demonstrating value, building rapport, and offering tailored solutions that meet client needs.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.