Forrester Research has said that we are living in the age of the customer, which means the balance of power has shifted to buyers. Buyers can gather a lot of data before talking to a salesperson but salespeople can still capitalize on opportunities to demonstrate credibility and value early in the decision-making process.
This presentation is from a webinar I delivered back in June. You can view the on-demand recorded session using this link:
http://bit.ly/2ggxYCj
6. ways to engage
• phone
• email
• social media
• referrals
• events
• sharing content
• speaking
• handwritten notes
7. use social channels to increase
visibility, add value and
demonstrate business credibility to
develop relationships with buyers
early
cc: Peter Ras - https://www.flickr.com/photos/48395185@N03
9. prepare yourself
• what do I know about the buyers
business?
• what problem do we solve?
• why should the buyer care?
• what happens if they do nothing?
• what expertise do I need to show?
• how do I gain their commitment to
give me their valuable time?
cc: Mark Sardella - https://www.flickr.com/photos/11125702@N00
13. “Seventy-nine percent of
business buyers say it is
absolutely critical or very
important to interact with a
salesperson who is a trusted
advisor — not just a sales rep —
who adds value to their
business.” - Salesforce State of
Sales
cc: deb & devin etheredge - https://www.flickr.com/photos/28831353@N03
14. cultivate referrals
• 72.6% of B2B buyers prefer to work
with vendors recommended by
someone they know.
• 73.0% of B2B buyers prefer to works
with sellers who have been referred by
someone they know.
• 63.9% of B2B buyers appreciate
introductions to new people.
15. message matters if you
want to stand out
cc: JASElabs - https://www.flickr.com/photos/8776396@N02
16. "An average office worker
gets 121 emails per day."
-City A.M.
"But 2/3 of all emails are
completely ignored and
never opened." -HubSpot
cc: Thomas Hawk - https://www.flickr.com/photos/51035555243@N01
17. grab interest
what is in it for the buyer?
cc: Overdaforest - https://www.flickr.com/photos/85943352@N00
18. to succeed your email and
phone messages should be
tailored to each buyer
cc: khora - https://www.flickr.com/photos/26774111@N00
19. value and relevance
• a business or economic trend that could
impact their business
• competitive insight
• an industry study that provides insights
into specific market segments the buyer's
company may be targeting
• new leadership best practices
• trends in performance effectiveness
cc: jjjj56cp - https://www.flickr.com/photos/25171569@N02
20. NO!
"Hi Barbara, Could I get a few minutes of your
time to discuss about our lead generation
service? We might be able to offer a different
perspective on how our unique approach can
get you in front of the prospective clients you
are trying to reach. Are you the best person to
speak with regarding this? If yes, do you have
any availability today or Monday next week for
a quick discovery call? Please let me know
the best number to reach you."
cc: nathangibbs - https://www.flickr.com/photos/57954193@N00
21. YES!
I show Sales VP's how to
TRIPLE their team's sales
meeting acceptance rates in
as little as 6-weeks through
better messaging, the right
people skills and process.
cc: Artotem - https://www.flickr.com/photos/27698646@N04
22. adapt your sales approach
to succeed with today’s
buyer!
cc: rennes_i - https://www.flickr.com/photos/49526657@N04
24. upcoming sessions
• the biggest challenges sales managers
face - steve rosen 6/19
• avoiding collateral damages to your
business with system thinking - christian
maurer 6/22
• objective based selling: sell more to
more people - tibor shanto 6/22
cc: sridgway - https://www.flickr.com/photos/68132273@N00
Notas del editor
Thanks for joining me on the Sales Experts Channel to talk about selling in the age of the customer.
There was a time when customers needed salespeople to provide them the data they needed about products and services to make decisions. We were, in fact, the original internet.
When buyers knew they had a need, they checked available options, usually in their local geography and then invited salespeople to meet with them
We were the primary educational vehicle in helping buyers make purchasing decisions.
27. 8. 2017
27. 8. 2017
27. 8. 2017
This isn’t about trying to short-cut the buyer’s decision making process by using social channels to pitch. Sellers who do that sort of thing find themselves
Missing out on sales opportunities. Buyers are looking for salespeople to add real value not just try to sell them something.
This is certainly the main goal when pursuing targeted accounts and decision makers. Your goal is to create enough of a relationship and demonstrate enoughcredibility that decision makers want to talk to you. This is also the place where many sellers are making big mistakes.
All interactions matter during the sales cycle but nothing is more important than the first impression you are creating with the first phone call you makeor email that you send. It is all about the message.
So before engaging…
27. 8. 2017
27. 8. 2017
27. 8. 2017
27. 8. 2017
This is one of the most under utilized selling strategies today. When you need to establish credibility and trust quickly, nothing can do that faster than havingsomeone refer you to a prospect who is respected and trusted by the person making the introduction. Many people don’t follow a process for cultivatingreferral opportunities nor do they ask even their own customers for referrals either into other departments in the company or to other buyers theyknow in other companies.
To get the best expert advice on this topic, you should follow Joanne Black who wrote the book No More Cold Calling, which outlines her referral selling processwhich gets you sales meetings with one call. Joanne’s second book – Pick Up the Damn Phone is also a must read.
When I’m trying to engage with a targeted buyer… my go to approach is to find a way to get an introduction to that person. Often salespeople are defaulting to cold emails and cold phone calls as a first approach. Done right, with the right message… many people do get results with these approaches, so I’m not sayingdon’t do it. I have just found from experience that referrals help to open doors more quickly and aids in shrinking the sales cycle.