(888) 893-2165Getting Past The Awkward B2B Sales Calls
If the following phone call candor doesn’t hit home with familiar pangs of both shame and frustration, you’ve never dipped your toe into B2B sales.
“I’ll be sure to let Jennifer know you followed up…no thank YOU…You too…bye-bye!”
Ah, the polite, drone-like buzz of your proposal being shot down by a gatekeeper with a penchant for squashing business-to-business transactions. The worst part? You may have squeezed by had you not talked quite so much last time.
It’s the B2B dance even the most successful sales professionals in the world have two-stepped with over the course of their careers—almost an art form when executed flawlessly. Commerce slows with the fumbled pitch, the unsure tone, and the slight hesitation when making your point.
Most B2B sales still require some form of verbal communication with a decision-maker (especially when value can’t be measured and trust can’t be achieved by mere data transcription).
First steps to winning at B2B sales:
- Take a deep breath
- Trust that what you have to say has business value for the receiving ear
This eliminates awkward pauses, and when done professionally, grants access to the decision-maker much faster. Confidence matters.
Contrary to popular belief, the cold call is not dead and B2B sales cannot be fully automated. With the right tools and an execution strategy in place, picking up the phone is the most efficient and professional way to do business.
B2B Sales Are All In The Presentation
What a time to be alive. We can hear and see people in real-time on the other side of the country–nonetheless the world. This major technological breakthrough has elevated the B2B sales process to new heights.
Since the dawn of time, our ancestors have used tools to communicate and demonstrate value. What began as physical movements, drawings, and paintings eventually developed into chalkboards, expo boards, and screens. Now that a demonstration over the internet is commonplace in the B2B sales world, there are fewer face-to-face meetings taking place.
As you’re mapping out the sales process, think of how you can demonstrate the value of your solution by showing more and saying less.
An action as simple as sharing a presentation via Highfive can make all the difference. Having prepared tabs to guide your prospect goes a long way in building trust and becoming an advisor within the context of a B2B sale.
Next time you feel that you’ve maxed out on value-props, think about the tools at your disposal to demonstrate visual value to your prospect.
Leverage Data & Information Tirelessly
Think about how many essays and writing projects from your school days required facts and sources to help support your argument. The main element that differentiates a B2B sale, is that businesses buy from other businesses when reps come prepared with outside resources and facts.
We have access to endless amounts of information at our fingertips. A simple link to a recent news article or blog entry on the subject of the prospect’s business (or your own) can add confidence in the future value of the deal. External data or simply a story that provides the prospect with a viewpoint outside of your dialogue can change the conversation and even turn a “no” into a “yes”.
Go deep into research mode before your next prospecting call and see what references you can find to support your logic. This is handy when delivering the value proposition to your prospective customer. You may hear a change of tone from passive to engaged as the two of you find more productive ways to move the sale forward.
Learn more: How to Generate Leads Using LinkedIn Lead Generation Forms
