Traditionally, B2B sales were a numbers game.
If you weren’t hitting targets, sales managers would concentrate on upping the activity output of their reps. Make more calls, send more emails, knock on more doors, and all your problems would disappear.
In 2023, however, things have changed.
Mostly because B2B buyers are now more knowledgeable.
Worldwide Business Research shows us that B2B buyers are 57% – 70% through their buying research before speaking with a sales rep.
That’s why it makes more sense than ever before to implement a strategy to complement your existing B2B sales process to drive more qualified leads for your business.
If you wish to maximise your performance and get ahead of the competition this year, then now is the time to start turning plans into action and getting familiar with the latest B2B sales strategies and techniques.
Here, we will share some of the most proven methods we use to bring our clients more sales pipeline, more nurtured leads and more revenue for their business:
1) Bridge the sales and marketing gap
B2B sales are about much more than closing the sale.
It’s about fostering client relationships throughout each stage of a sales funnel, which is why sales goals and marketing efforts work best in tandem.
Investing in sales reps to delegate different stages of your B2B sales cycle can help to increase conversion rates.
Bridging the gap between sales and marketing helps create an effective system for targeting, nurturing and identifying qualified buyers.
This can lead to higher conversion rates and better ROI metrics across the sales process.
Collaboration also provides both teams with insights into what is working or not working in the sales funnel — which ultimately leads to more informed decisions on how to optimise B2B sales efforts.
Start by separating your sales team into different tasks, such as outbound leads (BDRs), inbound leads (SDRs) and closing (ISRs).
Then, ensure your marketing and sales team work together to keep the messaging aligned when dealing with prospective B2B clients – which brings us to strategy #2.
2) Improve your Messaging
When it comes to B2B sales, having an effective messaging strategy is essential.
Whether it’s email marketing, paid advertising or social content, your messaging should be tailored to the specific needs of your target audience.
Design your messaging to create a connection between you and potential customers by making your ICP the focus of everything you say.
To do this, start by understanding who your target audience is and what their needs are. This will help you craft messages that speak directly to them and make them more likely to engage with your brand.
Make the messaging personal to them by showcasing how you understand their problems and proving how you have the solutions to benefit them emotionally, as well as logically.
If you want to push a sale or response, consider offering a deal and ensure you include a call to action.
Consider investing in a copywriter to convey your messaging in a way that makes your business sound more human.
Remember, personalisation is the key here. It’s no good having a great messaging if it isn’t tailored to the right person, which brings us to strategy #3.
3) Segment Your Target Audience
By understanding who your customers are and what they need, you can create a more effective sales strategy that will help you close more deals.
The first step in segmenting your target audience is to identify the different types of customers you are targeting.
This could include factors such as industry, size of company, location, and budget. Once you have identified the different customer segments, you can begin to tailor your sales approach to each one.
By segmenting your target audience, you can create a more effective sales strategy that will help you close more deals and increase your ROI.
4) Follow Up
Despite less face-to-face interactions and shorter conversations becoming the norm, the core behind generating leads and making sales is building relationships.
That’s where the art of the follow up comes in.
According to The Pipeline, 50% sales happen after the fifth touchpoint.
This proves it can take time to generate trust and rapport with a prospect, especially with outbound leads, which is why following up with prospects is such an important part of the B2B sales process.
Consistently following up allows you to build relationships with potential customers, establish your credibility, keep them informed of new products or services that may be of interest to them, and ensure they move closer to becoming a paying customer.
Following up also gives you a valuable opportunity to address any concerns or questions prospects might have and builds trust in your brand.
Teaching this to your sales reps should come as part of a broader training programme which allows your high-performing sales leaders to share their knowledge to optimise your sales team’s performance.
5) Leverage Your Social Content
Let’s talk about social selling.
Social media has become a powerful tool for B2B businesses. It allows them to engage their prospects directly, build relationships with them and create personalised experiences that will foster credibility and trust over time.
In the B2B space, LinkedIn is effective due to its professional orientation and can be a great tool to reach out to and engage with decision makers.
Companies that are not creating consistent and valuable content will be left behind in 2023.
That’s because, according to a DialogTech report, 90% of B2B customers begin their B2B buying journey with an online search.
So consider your own businesses online presence – are you doing enough to position yourself as a leader in your field?
Consider your social channels as the face for your business, allowing you to position your company as an expert within its industry.
You should create content tailored to the platform, using social media to foster relationships with prospects, identify potential clients and effectively target them with your services.
Start by developing a content strategy for 2023, ensuring it is providing valuable information to your ideal audience.
Then measure your social performance using metrics such as engagement, new followers and CTR (click-through rate) to identify which posts are performing the best.
Then, once you have experimented, double down on which posts perform best.
6) Add More Value to Your Existing Clients
When it comes to B2B sales, one of the most important things you can do is add value to your existing clients.
This means going above and beyond what they expect from you and providing them with additional services or products that will help them succeed.
One way to add more value to your existing clients is by offering discounts on their purchases. This could be a percentage off their total purchase or a free additional service with their order.
Another way to add value is by offering additional services such as training, consulting, or technical support. This will help your clients get the most out of your products and services and ensure they remain loyal customers.
Finally, you can also add value by providing them with exclusive access to new services before they are released to the public. This will make them feel special and appreciated, which can help to build long-term relationships.
By adding value to your existing clients, you can increase customer loyalty and create a more successful B2B sales strategy.
Remember, if your clients win, you win too.
7) Invest in Social Proof
In our digital world, social proof has become an important part of giving prospects trust in your business.
Social Proof is a theory, championed by American psychologist Dr. Robert Cialdini.
It states that people who don’t know how to behave in a certain situation will look to others to imitate what they are doing to provide guidance for their actions.
As Dr. Cialdini details in his book, ‘Influence. The Psychology of Persuasion’: “We view a behaviour as more correct in a given situation to the degree that we see others performing it.”
The concept in business is that if someone else is happy with a service that it’s more likely for other people to feel the same way.
The mistake most businesses make is they rely on social proof happening automatically through word of mouth.
But by investing in social proof, you can increase trust with prospects and help to close more B2B sales.
To successfully bring in warmed up leads and close more B2B sales for your business, try to instead give word of mouth a jumpstart by investing time and effort into the process.
For businesses to be successful, they need to build trust with customers and prospects by leveraging the power of social proof.
You can build upon your social proof by doing the following:
Ask for referrals
Asking for referrals is an important part of any successful B2B sales strategy.
Referrals can be a great source of warm leads, as they come from people who already have a positive opinion of your company and its services.
Share customer stories
Sharing customer success stories is a great way to build trust with prospects and show them that your services can help them achieve their goals.
You can share these stories on your website, social media channels, or even in emails.
Make sure to include effective storytelling during this process. What problems did your clients face? How did your business solve these issues? What was the end result?
Leverage influencers & brand advocates
Leveraging influencers and brand advocates can be a great way to increase visibility, build trust, and drive sales in the B2B space.
Influencers can help spread the word about your product or service, while brand advocates can provide valuable feedback and insights into how customers interact with your business.
When it comes to influencers, it’s important to find the right people who have a large following and are knowledgeable about your industry.
They should be able to provide valuable insights and advice that can help you reach more potential customers.
Brand advocates, on the other hand, are people who already use your product or service and are passionate about it.
Enter and showcase awards
Entering and showcasing awards is a great way to boost your B2B sales.
Awards provide recognition for your business, which can help you stand out from the competition.
Showcasing awards on your website, in marketing materials, and at trade shows can help build trust with potential customers and once again show that you are a leader in your industry.
8) Optimise Your Sales Funnel
Sales funnels are essential for any business to business company looking to increase their sales.
A well-optimised sales funnel can help you convert more leads into customers, generate more revenue, and improve customer satisfaction.
The first step in optimising your B2B sales funnel is to identify the stages of the process. This includes understanding what activities need to be completed in order to move prospects from one stage to the next.
Once you have identified the stages of your sales funnel, you can then focus on optimising each stage.
This includes creating content that is tailored to each stage, as well as using automation and personalisation tools to ensure that prospects are receiving the right message at the right time.
Finally, it’s important to track the performance of your sales funnel and make adjustments as needed. This will help you identify any areas that need improvement, as well as ensure that your sales funnel is working effectively.
9) Utilise New Technology
New technology can help B2B sales teams improve their performance by providing data insights that enable them to more effectively identify and target potential customers, better understand the customer journey, and optimise their sales processes.
New technology can also enable sales teams to automate time-consuming activities such as lead generation and follow-up activities.
By utilising new technology, B2B sales teams can work smarter, faster, and more accurately to significantly increase efficiency and ultimately maximise their sales performance.
Investing in a sophisticated tech stack can take your B2B sales efforts to the next level, with metric-driven cadences making life so much easier for sales reps.
Data-driven insights can help sales teams identify the most promising leads, target them with personalised messages, and track their progress throughout the customer journey.
This process allows sales reps to focus on the most qualified prospects and prioritise their efforts accordingly.
New technology can also help B2B sales teams automate time consuming tasks such as data entry and mass email marketing. Automation tools can help sales teams save time and focus on more important tasks.
By utilising new technology, B2B sales teams can improve their performance and maximise their sales results.
10) Seek Expert Assistance
Lead generation is a tough game.
It takes energy, resilience and competence on multiple fronts, as we know all too well at Excelerate360.
To implement new B2B sales strategies, you will need to be consistent and precise to gain the best results, which will take up a lot of time and resources.
If you do not have the time or processes in place to successfully implement these strategies yourself, then it may be time to consider outsourcing.
Outsourcing your sales process gives you instant access to technology and expertise, while giving you more time, less stress and more profits to put back into your business.
At Excelerate360, our mission is to help businesses to achieve their full potential by implementing proven sales strategies and techniques to generate business growth.
If you want to give your bottom line a boost this year, then get in touch today.
