Essential B2B Prospecting Tips For Salespeople

 In Business Guides, How Tos, Sales Guides

You can be armed with a highly segmented target universe full of profitable new business opportunities, a fantastic strategy and an authentic, professional brand. But if you’re not managing to close at the rate you’d like, forecasts can quickly slip and morals along with them. If you’re interested in increasing your closing rate (to beat targets or even just to set a new personal record), the below four B2B prospecting tips can support any salesperson in converting an introductory meeting into your next client.

 

Lead With The Solution Sell Deployed At The Right Time

Don’t be put off by thinking you’re potentially hassling a busy person when you make a business development call. In fact, the stats suggest that more than half the time (62% in fact) buyers want to hear from sellers when they’re actively on the lookout for a solution to solve a problem, which if positioned and messaged properly, could well be your product or service.

With extensive market research, accurate customer profiling and buyer persona-building informed by data, analytics and observation, you’re more likely to address an actual problem that needs a solution. Tapping into beliefs, pain points and motivators immediately increases the probability of you converting a suspect to a prospect, prospect to a lead and a lead to a conversion. This means your outbound business development will be much more powerful.

With the vast amount of content online, many customers begin the buying process on their own terms. They conduct swathes of research and create a shortlist of potential companies they’d like to work with based off of service offering, value proposition, alignment, brand authenticity, authoritative case studies and much more. Therefore you want to cover all corners and supplement business development calling with great thought leadership content, strong SEO and a modern, responsive website.

Every touch point a prospect has with your brand is an opportunity to communicate exactly why you’re the right business to solve their problem, presenting you as the most relevant and value-added choice from a daunting shortlist.

 

Be Authentic and Communicate Best Practice for Better Acceptance

If you aren’t invested in (or even sure of, in some cases) your key messages, what sets you apart and what makes you authentic how can you expect suspects and prospects to buy into you either? Reputation is incredibly important but a positive reaction can’t be expected, even if you are a huge business with an international presence or a startup in the trendiest quarter of the city. However, securing buy-in and getting acceptance is, of course, trickier with new companies due to the lack of evidence to start with. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Statistics say that 65% of buyers accept a meeting or other form of a positive outcome when they come across content from your business based on best practice methodology. This methodology should be underpinned by your messaging, positioning and value proposition and ultimately, be a justification of why you’re the guys to solve the buyer’s problem.

Content such as thought leadership posts, whitepapers, webinars and newsletters can be very effective in building the credibility and authenticity that’s essential in getting your name on those buyer shortlists. Supported by a unique approach and your point of view, you can develop a methodology that gives a real competitive advantage.

 

Position Your Service As An Added-Value Product They Can’t Live Without

96% of buyers’ ultimate purchase decision is influenced by the added value a business says it can deliver to helping them overcome a hurdle. Adding value provides incentives to attract new business, create more opportunities and shorten sales cycles, as well as building trust by providing a perceived enhanced service for a base price. Basically, it shows you’re genuinely out to share your expertise and support, not make a quick buck.

Your business will only be successful if a buyer’s perceived value aligns with your price points, the return on investment you provide and what you bring to their life, both professionally and personally. (Some may be all about profit margins, whilst others may really appreciate getting their weekends back). There are some easy, genuine ways to add value to your offering that any business can deploy but we always recommend looking into how value can be created that’s unique to you.

Being polite and attentive, such as following up thoroughly, providing accurate information from the get-go and following up on meetings or actions within a reasonable timeframe will go a long way to adding value. Coming to meetings well-prepared and with fresh ideas will also put a smile on your client’s face. We often hear frustrated businesses say that service providers don’t listen to them or make little effort to understand their challenges and apply a cookie-cutter methodology that is inappropriate. Tailoring your service based on listening will make you indispensable, as will demonstrating this knowledge at every point of communication.

Follow these B2B prospecting tips  and you’ll gradually transition from a service overhead to an added-value product that can’t be lived without.

 

Be An Educator With Relevant Insights

When prospecting, the golden rules are to show understanding and scratch the surface of what really matters in order to establish your inroad and size up an opportunity. Therefore don’t just list service features, package specifications or jargon that only really mean something to your company as this will alienate a prospect. What you want to do is offer relevant insights into your prospect’s industry and communicate a clear, sincere understanding of their challenges.

92% of buyers say that this behaviour influences their purchase decision due to the free advice and subsequent reliance and trust this builds. Helping your prospect or customer understand the steps of their purchase journey and rationalising the benefits in their world increases your likelihood of conversion and will make you a better B2B salesperson.

 

OSBOS works with clients across locations including Cheshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire and Birmingham from our Gadbrook Park, Northwich offices with low-risk, scalable outsourced sales and outsourced marketing. To find out how we can help you maximise your B2B prospecting to grow your brand, sales and profits or get more B2B prospecting tips just call + 44 (0) 1606 822606 or email .

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