There’s no shortage of information in the business world today. As we discussed in our January post, clients now start the sales process better informed than ever before. More clients now engage with sales representatives only after the purchase decision is made. As we look at the changing B2B sales landscape, we believe the astute use of intelligence becomes a key advantage to improve relationships with prospects and clients.
The Secrets of Top Performing Sales Teams
The RAIN Group, a global sales consulting firm, identified what top performing sales teams do differently to achieve superior results. Mike Schultz, co-president, outlined these winning behaviors in a post on Salesforce.com.
According to the RAIN Group research, sales winners do a better job of:
1. Uncovering client needs
2. Crafting compelling solutions
3. Connecting personally with clients and listening to them
4. Establishing trust
5. Making the case for ROI
6. Collaborating with buyers and educating them on new ideas and perspectives
“All in, the sellers who win do three things: they connect, convince, and collaborate. Is this all simply relationship and solution sales? No. But they’re certainly still among the main ingredients” Schultz stated.
The New B2B Sales Imperative
The CEB has also looked at the determinants of success in the new B2B sales landscape and shares its perspective in this article in the March issue of the Harvard Business Review.
According to the CEB, B2B buyers are stressed by:
- An overload of information on every solution under consideration
- Difficulties encountered when managing a widening number of stakeholders with diverging personal and organizational priorities
- An ever-expanding array of solutions options, requiring more time to evaluation
As a result, the CEB estimates that a typical solution purchase now takes 2x as long as clients plan.
How Should Sales People Respond to Succeed in This Changing Landscape?
The CEB says the key is to make buying easier for clients but suggests that sales people to switch from a responsive approach to a prescriptive approach:
| Stop – Responsive Approach | Start – Prescriptive Approach |
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Prescriptive efforts must meet 3 requirements, according to the CEB:
1. They must be unbiased and credible
2. They must reduce indecision and compel action
3. They should facilitate progress along the purchase path, leading to a solution that you are uniquely able to provide, but without explicitly promoting your solution
CEB research shows that clients who purchased solutions via the prescriptive method reported an 86% increase in purchasing ease and a 37% reduction in purchase regret.
Trust is the Bedrock of Client Relationships
Achieving sales success through the approaches described by the RAIN Group and the CEB is impossible unless you have the client’s trust and they view you and your team as well-informed authorities in your field. Having the right information and business intelligence to put to work is key to building trust and establishing the bedrock for productive relationships with your clients.
RelPro is Your Information Partner for the New B2B Sales Landscape
With relationship intelligence combined with contact details, RelPro is your trusted resource to help you find key sales information to strengthen existing and new relationships.
RelPro gives you access at one go to information from trusted sources like BoardEx, D&B, ZoomInfo and HG Insights, as well as timely news, financial updates, role changes, trade shows engagements or custom topics of your choice, on over 150 million decision-makers and 7 million companies.
Insight from RelPro’s trusted sources helps you:
- Understand and map your client’s purchasing committee
- Identify relationship connections
- Get a grip on the technology clients use
- Stay up-to-date with relevant and current news
About RelPro
To learn more about RelPro, visit our website – www.relpro.com, give us a call – (888) 561 7890 or send us an email – info@relpro.com, or sign up for a demo. To learn what the market is saying about RelPro, read the reviews on G2 Crowd.