Five Pitfalls to Successful B2B Selling

While taking some time off, I was reflecting upon the issues that hinder success in b2b sales. My thoughts ran the gambit of possible issues including hiring and selection of high quality b2b sales people – sales training and development using the right processes for your industry – quality of sales leadership – the rules, policies and structure of an organization – and finally compensation or incentive programs.

In the long run, I narrowed it down to five major pitfalls to b2b sales success

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Only Three Ways to Grow Sales

As complex as business to business selling has become due to the people, technology and agendas, there is one thing that has remained simple and concise. There are only three ways to grow your sales.

Now, understand I did not say easy, I said simple – which will require some effort on your part to master.

So what are the three ways to grow your sales? Here they are…

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Five Signals Triggering Your B2B Actions

Recently I was reviewing several account relationships and the current sales process with each account. While involved in this exercise I was careful to watch for certain triggers calling for my immediate actions to keep the accounts moving toward the commitment phrase.

Essentially there are five signals I look for during any account review. These signals will create reasons for a customer call or additional research about the customer. So here are the five signals for you to review on your accounts…

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Confidence Makes It All Work for You

This is the final step in becoming a sales superstar. Actually, the real question is: “Is Confidence really the First step rather than tenth?” There are several reason for Confidence being the first step and like wise there are several reasons it is the tenth. No matter which side of the debate you are on – Confidence is the lead element in your ultimate success.

First let’s look at the reason it could be first on the 10 step list. Confidence in yourself is the key for wanting to achieve anything in life. It is the foundation used to set believable goals and expectations for things you can do and achieve during your life. It gives you the willpower to start new things and expect positive results. The “You Can Do It!” mental attitude takes the front stage of your mind and drives you forward – even during times of stress or adversity (like the economic conditions of today!).

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Think Like An Owner for Sales Success

This is the one step that could be titled “Think like an Owner” “Coordinating Results” or “Customer Satisfaction Goals”. There are important information and processes to follow with each of the three titles. Yet, I choose the Think like an Owner because it encompasses all three.

So what does “Think Like an Owner” really mean? An owner is fully committed to their business. The Owner has to balance all the functional areas of the company to get the best results. An Owner depends upon their customers to stay in business. And, decisions must be made for the overall good rather than personal agenda. All of these factors are supported by the superstar sales people.

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