Selling to consumers is fun. There is not as much pressure, you usually don’t have to work late and closing a deal usually doesn’t require as much effort. B2B is where the pressure is at. Long days, high targets and a lot of hard work to get the deal in are part of the job description. But the rewards are higher too. High targets go hand in hand with high commission. Here are some killer tips that will help you in business to business sales.
#1 Don’t waste your time
Time is money. Spend your time as efficiently as possible. Here are a few ways to help you save as much time as possible:
- Structure your days. (Mondays for writing proposals, Tuesdays for cold calling Wednesdays and Thursdays for appointments and Friday for follow ups, or something similar that fits your work load).
- Standardise your proposal documents. (Make sure your proposals look great and tailor make them to your client’s request, but pre-write, copy and paste as much as possible).
- Delegate. (If it is your job to generate business, leave the support, admin and aftercare to someone else).
- Focus on the hot leads (work hard and smart. Put effort in to getting enquiries instead of randomly dialling numbers in the phone book).
#2 Always add value
Business people are usually a little more switched on than consumers. They are in it for the same reason as you and they don’t like to waste their time. Show them how your offer can create value for them straight away. If you can’t explain the value in the first ten seconds you won’t get the appointment. If you can’t show your prospect the value, you won’t make the sale. If you can’t create value over time, you will lose your client. Doing business is about mutual gain. Make sure your client gains because if he doesn’t you won’t either.
#3 Show off your success
Who are your biggest clients? Put their logos on your website. Ask for testimonials and shout their names from the rooftops! Show your clients that you’re busy. If you have a busy office, ask your clients to meet you at your office so they can see what your company is all about. Take your clients out for diner, take them on a night out or take them to the Lakers game. If you can afford it spend it, because people buy into your success and if they can see it they want to be part of it.
#4 Stay in touch
Once the sale is won or lost, communication between you and the client shouldn’t stop. Continuously remind your relations that you are out there and that you may be able to help them in the future. Sometimes people forget about your service, sometimes people don’t realise that they need your services again. So do whatever you can to remind people that you are out there and that you can help them out. Send newsletters, send emails, birthday cards, run competitions or just send them a postcard from your holiday address. By all means stay in touch!
#5 Watch and learn
There is always someone out there who has been doing it longer and better than you. You’re never too old or to “good” to learn. So take notes on everything you come across that can help you. If someone you know has been successful in something, find out how he did it and learn from it. If it worked for him it may also work for you. The best salesmen have a great student mentality and never stop asking questions.
