A Beginner’s Guide to B2B Sales: 6 Tips to Win More

The B2B universe grows more heavily saturated with each passing minute. Competition is fierce and half-hearted. Poorly executed sales strategies won’t cut it anymore. If you want your brand to be a rocking success, you need to have a strong, knowledgeable, and experienced sales force. 

This beginner’s guide shares six tips on how to make your B2B sales process more effective.

Train your team to sell

This seems like a no-brainer. However, it’s shocking how many companies gloss over this important step. According to Forbes magazine, 55% of salespeople lack basic sales skills. Don’t let your team suffer this easily fixed flaw. 

Selling is more nuanced than most people realize. It’s not just about regurgitating information or pestering potential buyers until they give in. Studies show that sales training can increase win rates by 32%. Also, it can shorten the sales cycle by 25%. Working with the best sales training companies can sharpen your team’s skills and give them the tools they need to succeed. 

Build strong relationships

B2B buyers don’t want to be lumped in with the rest of the faceless organizations out there. They are screaming inside for personalized attention. According to Drip, 76% of B2B buyers want to know that you understand them as individuals. Building deep and solid relationships is one of the best ways to show that you’re paying attention. 

While this can take more time upfront, it can pay off in the long run. For one, it can lead to a flood of referrals. According to the Sales Benchmark Index, 84% of B2B decision makers begin their buying process with a referral. 

To build deep and solid relationships with B2B buyers:

• Connect with them on a personal level. That means going beyond small talk about the weather or their weekend plans. Find out what’s important to them and use that information to tailor your sales pitch. 
• Be genuine in your interactions. B2B buyers can spot a fake from a mile away. If you’re not being authentic, they’ll see right through you and move on to the next vendor.
• Keep the lines of communication open. This means promptly responding to their inquiries and keeping them updated on the status of their deal. 
• Be transparent. B2B buyers appreciate honesty and will be more likely to do business with you if they feel like they can trust you.

Qualify leads early

The average B2B sale takes 22% longer to close than it did just a couple of years ago. In other words, you can’t afford to waste time pursuing leads that aren’t ready. Sales training companies say the best way to avoid chasing hopeless leads is to qualify them early. 

This means being brutal in your filtering process and only going after leads that have a high likelihood of converting. There are several factors you can use to qualify leads, including: 

• Need: Does the lead have a pressing need for your product or service? 
• Budget: Do they have the budget to make a purchase? 
• Authority: Do they have the authority to make a buying decision? 
• Timeline: Is there an immediate timeline for making a purchase? 
• Fit: Is your product or service a good fit for their needs? 

Stop selling, start storytelling

B2B buyers get bombarded with an overwhelming amount of data. The best way to cut through the noise is with a fascinating and heartfelt story. That’s because stories stimulate the parts of our brain that logic and facts usually don’t. Stories are also more memorable than data points.

Storytelling is most powerful when it’s:

• Relevant: The best stories are those that speak to the buyer’s specific needs. 
• Compelling: Your stories should be interesting and make the buyer want to find out more. 
• Concise: Keep your stories short and sweet. No one wants to hear a long-winded tale. 
• Visual: Use sensory language to paint a picture in the buyer’s mind. 
• Authentic: Tell stories that are real and, preferably, from your personal experience. 

Master digital marketing

A strong digital marketing strategy can be your best friend in B2B sales. Research by 99 Firms showed that 70% of business buyers find content directly on the vendor’s website. Also, HubSpot reports that companies who blog receive 97% more inbound links to their website. 

Here are a few digital marketing ideas to get you started:

• Optimize your website for SEO, so prospects can easily find you when they’re conducting research online. 
• Start a blog and populate it with high-quality, keyword-rich content that will help you attract leads and convert them into customers. 
• Curate an intentional social media footprint to build relationships with potential and current customers, and to promote your brand. 

Use data and analytics

Instead of stumbling around in the dark, data can help you identify patterns and trends in customer behavior. That’s why data should be at the heart of your selling strategies, say the best sales training companies. 

Intent data, for example, can help you zero in on prospects more likely to convert. A study by Forrester found that using intent data can increase revenue by 15%. When you let data and analytics take the driver’s seat, you can focus on more intimate aspects of the sales process. For example, building relationships and creating bespoke solutions.

Wrapping up

Winning in B2B sales takes a mix of skill, strategy, and tenacity. Use these six tips to carve out your own competitive advantage and close more deals.