Okay, some sales people questioned my business fit example in an earlier b2b sales tip. And, good for you. The ones who questioned it most be in the b2b sales superstar group and knew there were some missing pieces to my earlier explanation.
Well there are a number of key issues to resolve when working toward a true business fit and surprise – it has little to do with your product or service.
I know the traditional trained sales people are thinking I have lost it when I say it has very little to do with your product. Well, somebody needs to tell you this before you start losing business due to positioning mistakes. I will say if you and your company are currently only a commodity seller and use price as the number one thing for making a sale – then keep on talking about your product and hopefully your customer will understand you have a better product. Yet, in this era, product differentiation is difficult to find in most conventional selling environment.
The b2b sales superstars have learned about positioning themselves using the business fit concept. When they have targeted the right types of accounts, this concept delivers higher yields and larger sales.
So let’s first look at the three factors driving the reasoning for a business fit – the mindset of the b2b sales person. You are looking at each sales opportunity with the intention of having these three factors…
- Identifying the basis for a long-term business relationship
- Knowing it will be account specific and very strategic in nature
- Will be stating the value of the relationship in the customer’s point of view or terms
As a b2b sales person, you need to learn how to use the questioning model of sales to uncover the truly important things about the customer’s business. I’m talking about knowing their purpose and future direction, the current situation relative to their desired direction, the organizational structure and who the major players and influence people are located, and how well each area is doing relative to what solutions you are selling.
After learning all you can, you will then begin the work of collaborative development with the customer involvement to achieve critical business objectives and goals, address specific corporate issues impacting performance and outcomes, and finally to insure the achievement of their strategic objectives.
An important key for your success in designing a business fit is to remember it is not about you, your company or especially your product or service. These are just the tools to deliver a specific solution or outcome. You must limit your discussion about products especially with the top level executives who are only focused upon their company’s needs and objectives.
Let me know how you feel about business fit. Leave a comment with your thoughts about the business fit and how this concept impacts you and your performance today. Thanks.
Voss Graham
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