How many times has a sales person said that the B2B sales lead they received was unqualified, poor or just plain bad? Let’s face it, some sales leads really are poor. But many could be terrific if put in the hands of a well-equipped sales person who knows their business, has taken the time to understand their prospect’s business and can add real value. Real salespeople aren’t order-takers, they are value creators that represent the bigger value their company can bring to their sales prospect.
More B2B sales
There aren’t many B2B businesses who don’t want more sales. Earlier this week, a client of ours was asked by one of our people “what’s the quality of your salesforce?” The answer was a resounding, “meh”. Great – let’s get that salesforce more sales leads through a B2B sales lead generation program! While it’s true that more leads mean more chances to win the deal, it also means more opportunities missed if the sales team isn’t ready to add value.
A good sales methodology
A sales methodology that can apply to both sales relationship managers and sales prospecting is the Challenger Sales Model. This is a sales approach where the seller actively teaches their prospect, customizes their sales process, and takes control of the customer conversation. They do this by really understanding how their product or service can solve important business challenges for their sales prospect and add value to their business. This process not only increases the chances for winning the deal, it also diminishes price as a contributing factor to closing the deal. The process allows for the seller to provide a solution that the customer needs versus the customer specifically dictating what they want, which may not actually be right for them.
Sometime sales people are afraid to drive the dialogue and challenge their prospect to rethink how they are approaching their business problem. Challenging a prospect doesn’t need to be confrontational – in fact, anything but. It’s about being knowledgeable and confident about your business and leading a meaningful conversation on how and why your business can help add value. And if you’re business can’t add value, perhaps you don’t deserve to win the deal.
According to Corporate Vision, 74% of B2B buyers choose the sales rep that was first to add value and insight. With an average of 5.4 people involved in the B2B buying decision (CEB), B2B selling continues to evolve and highly capable sales people are critical to success.
