Different business modules require different sales strategies that are effective in their growth. B2B (business to business) companies sell their products and services to other companies rather than individual customers. B2B sales need complex strategies to persuade target businesses in order to seal the deal. The sales process in B2B companies takes a lot more time than the B2C transactions because it involves heavy decision making backed by professional teams on both ends. The B2B sales process includes everything from social media presence, reviews from fellow businesses to marketing campaigns, and so much more. Here we discuss three strategies that will help you gain more customers –
1. Focus on each individual account
Treating each account as a separate market can really help a company move up its game. Account-based selling has been a tried and tested method of improving sales for years. Cold calling and methods of generic outreach are a thing of the past. Taking care of your customer will help you build a successful and long-running partnership that will result in more business in the future. Addressing the goals of a company and developing your sales strategy according to their needs and challenges will give you a better response. Assessing what a customer needs and pitching the right ideas at the right team is a sure-shot way of turning leads into high-value conversions.
- Target – choose carefully the accounts that you want to go in business with and figure out their needs and compatibility, according to industry, logistics, and company size.
- Research – next, you need to identify what the company needs, how you can fulfill their demands, and who the decision-makers are in your target company. People who influence the purchase decisions should be paid special attention to.
- Personalization – treat every account special. Build tailored content for each company and stories of similar success accounts. Make the company believe in your desire to give them the best product/service.
- Engage – put some effort and insight into your approach when you start a conversation with a professional from your target business. A warm engagement will yield better results than a cold call.
2. Alignment of sales and marketing teams
The marketing and sales teams in any business have always been known to be at each other's throats. While sometimes it may or may not turn out to be a difficult situation, but when an alliance is formed between the two teams, the force becomes unstoppable. The primary key here is open and clear communication – participation from members of both teams aiming for the same goal. Studies have shown that when sales and marketing teams work together in harmony, an increase in sales is a definite result. On the other hand, a misalignment of both departments has shown to reduce the sales as well as productivity.
When going after a potential customer, both sales and marketing teams need to be on the same page about the strategy. The marketing team needs to update and involve the salespeople about the content and guide them on how to use it and when. Similarly, the sales team should inform the marketing team on how they plan to convert their leads so the developed content can be used in a better and effective way to attract potential business. A clear communication channel between the two is the best way for a smooth workflow.
A good alignment between the sales and marketing teams also guarantees a good impression on the customer. When both groups work together in unison, the advertised product in the market is seen by the customers without any confusion or misinformation. If the client business sees an ad for a product or service and upon query gets precisely what was advertised, it is undoubtedly more likely to turn into a sale.
3. Social media marketing
In today's day and age, if social media marketing strategies are used properly, the effect on sales can boom exponentially. Gone are the days when marketing used to be word-of-mouth or just an ad in the newspaper. In the current times, businesses need to be in tune with global events and political climate and use it for their advantage. Social media has been such a boon for the marketing industry that it is now the first choice for businesses to promote their product. In B2B sales as well, a good and robust social media presence will help your sales in more ways than one.
Keep in mind; businesses need to pick their social media platforms wisely. For example, a business or technical ad/blog that does reasonably well on LinkedIn might not get the same reception on Instagram or Facebook. A well thought out marketing campaign on social media can do wonders for a business. It is the first thing that pops up when a client business looks you up on the internet and can also help in taking forward existing business relationships, apart from forming new ones.
Social media marketing works well for B2B companies. It helps break the ice and form the beginning of a relationship before the companies delve into products/services' sales. When a client sees that a business is putting constant efforts into letting their brand reach a wide audience via similar channels, they are more likely to go into business with them.
These three tried and tested methods of increasing sales in a B2B organization are guaranteed to give you better results if executed efficiently.