We are all consumers and the art of the business to consumer (B2C) sale is obvious in everyday life. From outdoor advertising to television and in-store point of sales materials to flyers in our letter boxes, everything is urging us to ‘buy now, pay later’ or choose product x over product y. Conversely, not everybody is as familiar with business to business sales (B2B). The concept is not difficult to understand, it is still a sale but just from one business to another rather than to a single customer. The principles behind the sale though are quite specific.
People are people
While you’re trying to sell a business to a business, you still need to convince a person first. So, if you can build rapport, be creative and flexible in your approach you will vastly increase your chances of success.
Know your channels
As buyers ourselves, we all have expectations about how and where we like to be spoken to. If you have done your research properly, you should have a clear idea of how, when and where they prefer to be contacted.
Make things simple
If you’re trying to elicit a response from a partner or client, don’t complicate things. Whether you need a form filling out or a list of questions answered, making it easy for the responder is more likely to get you the answers you want.
Be the solution
Your research should already have found the pain points for the business you’re trying to sell to. If you can position yourself as the answer to their problems rather than a salesperson trying to hawk a product, you’re more likely to build trust and make a sale.
Be accountable
It’s not enough to just make a sale. If your customer needs help or some sort of after sales service, you need to take responsibility for it. Not only will this help to cement the sale you’ve already made but will also help to create more business.
If you’d like to see how we can supercharge your B2B sales, get in touch. We’re always happy to jump on a call.