A structured approach to B2B sales

Luis
Luis
Sep 1, 2018 · 3 min read
Image: Chris Spiegl

In order for companies to be effective in differentiating themselves, it is crucial that they tailor experiences to their customers. This Personalization trend has been developing as consumers are constantly offered products and services that provide more value at a lower cost.

Whether it is on their streaming service, their social media feed, or the deliveries that get shipped straight to their door, consumers are approaching a Golden Era where their experiences are created by themselves, for themselves.

Those companies that are big winners in the consumer space, such as Amazon and Netflix, have had a laser focus on making it convenient for each customer to personalize their interactions with the company. This is starting to migrate into Business-to-business (B2B) transactions and it is expected that it will become standard in the coming years.

According to a study by the Boston Consulting Group, companies that use digital analytics to personalize experiences grow 2 to 3 times faster than those who do not.

B2B sales are highly based on face-to-face interactions and sales cycles can range between 6 to 18 months, per MIT Sloan School of Management’s Academic Head of Enterprise Management, Professor Sharmila Chatterjee. For these long sales cycles it is even more important that when we approach a potential client, we avoid focusing only on a solution to the problem at hand or just highlighting the features of services we offer. It is more productive that we take the time to understand if we are actually tackling the right problem for the specific client we are in discussions with.

The Six-sigma methodology is a popular road map for process improvement and the first step is to Define the problem. In Software-as-a-service companies, the product is usually meant to facilitate a process for the client, therefore it is natural to pitch the benefits of the most commonly used features of the software.

Image: SixSigmadaily.com

However, without taking the time to capture the requirements of each client, we do not know the weight that these features have on their list of priorities for seeking a SaaS provider.

How can this sales experience be created by the client, for the client?

Defining the problem with the client may take several meetings to listen carefully to their challenges and potentially a few visits to the office to observe and confirm that what you offer is the right fit for them.

In order to personalize a sales experience for B2B we might want to avoid one-size-fits-all mass emails. We can then start focusing more on establishing a process for capturing the full scenario of what our clients are facing on a day-to-day basis, designed in part by their input into their needs.

What are some ways that you are personalizing your sales process?

For more information on the Macro Trends that are changing the rules of business please contact the author of this article, Luis Salazar, at lsalazar at winhallmill.com

Luis

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Luis

A collection of thoughts on business and technology.

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