Month: February 2011

Four Pathways to the Executive Meeting

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Several of b2b sales people I have worked with over the past few months have asked me about how do you get to the executive level decision makers?

It is encouraging to heard the passion in these questions as these b2b sales people are truly looking for a way to separate themselves from the thundering herd of traditional sales people.

As we discussed and dialogued the best pathways to the executive suite for these b2b sales people we noticed the same four paths were discussed each time. Therefore, it was easy to determine the Four Pathways to the Executive Suite Connection for a b2b sales opportunity.

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Myth of the Quick Fix in B2B Sales

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Today is a little different topic from the normal b2b sales tips, however, it is one that bothers me due to the number of b2b sales managers and people who are believers in the myth.

That’s right, there is no quick fix for b2b sales success.

Learning the ins and outs of today’s b2b sales is a process – just like the b2b sales process, it takes time to learn to master the differences in each b2b sales situation.

So how do deal with this learning issue? The solution is quite simple. Here is a “quick list” of things you can do to prepare for a lifetime of b2b sales success…

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BS Reasons Buyers Use to Stall the B2B Sale

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Occasionally, I get into discussions with b2b sales people regarding possible stalls tactics used by buyers and decision makers. Now the reality is sometimes these tactics are just part of their unique buying process. However, most of the time these tactics are at best stalling tactics to chase the b2b sales person away.

So here are the eight major offenders used by buyers and decision makers to stall your sales process.

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Four Major Mistakes when Dealing with Gatekeepers

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Recently a sales team I was working with raised the question of how to deal with the Gatekeepers of the world. In previous training sessions they had been taught some of the old traditional techniques and tactics designed to overcome or by pass the gatekeepers.

The more we discussed the situation, the more I realized there are probably a number of b2b sales people making major mistakes in dealing with so called Gatekeepers. Gatekeepers are people who you need to nurture a relationship with if you want to be successful in your b2b sales efforts.

So, what are the four major mistakes made by old school b2b sales people? Here are they are, so simply avoid using these tactics if you want to win your b2b sales accounts.

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Vision, Vision Who Has a Vision for b2b Sales?

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I keep getting a question from sales executives and sales people regarding the value of having a vision. Is having a vision all that important in b2b sales?

And, the answer is a resounding “yes” if you want to be a b2b sales superstar.

So who has to have a vision and why? This is the simple part. There are two people who must have a clear vision of their future. Those two are…

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Stop Asking Detail Oriented Questions

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Okay, seems some of your are still using your time with buyers or high level decision makers asking questions that are what I call Detail Oriented Questions. Stop It, Now! That is if you want to win more b2b sales opportunities. If you don’t care about your sales success then continue doing it.

So why am I on your case about this type of question? Well, two reasons come quickly to mind.

  1. You should not act like a regular sales person when meeting with a true high level decision maker. It is time there to have more of a discussion about success stories, current industry trends, or best practices to improve the enterprise.
  2. Detail oriented questions only help one person – YOU and not the person you are asking. In fact, you are creating a negative experience for yourself with a key person – because all the other sales people who call on this person ask the same useless questions that provide no thought or aha’s for the decision maker.

So what do you do to gather information about a prospect or customers. Here are a four suggestions…

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Is Your True Focus on Your Customer’s Satisfaction?

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Without being corny today, I have a very important question for you.

Is Your True Focus on Your Customer’s Satisfaction?

This is a very telling question and your answer will give you insight into your degree of b2b sales success. You must take a moment and answer the question, even write it down. The reason for writing it down is to gain complete clarity regarding the reason you are in the b2b sales business. And, the answer should have something to do with your customers – creating an improvement or making their life better in some way.

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Team Selling is the Natural Way to B2B Sales Success

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Got to thinking about the natural way of winning the hunt – or winning the new customer account. Since my partner is going to South Africa this week, I began to realize nature’s method for thriving and surviving in the wild.

Since the world of b2b sales has been described by many sales people as a jungle, I realized they were using the wrong traits for winning.

In the wilds of South Africa, the lions are the big winners. Why? Because they use the natural advantage of the pride. Yes, lions hunt as a team rather than alone. They make a group effort to hunt down their targets. These animals are smart and cunning – and they excel as a team.

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Is Your Experience Getting in the Way of B2B Sales Success?

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Last week I ran across some older research about the impact of experience on our b2b sales performance. While it covered positive elements, it also showed me some interesting points about how it negatively impacts a b2b sales person’s performance.

The negative element was directed at our ability to ask the right types of questions in our sales process. And, you know I’m a big proponent of the role the Questioning Model has upon our overall success.

As I referred the information, I realized I was somewhat guilty of this research activity! Geez! As I reflected on the topic, I realized it was a subject that I needed to share with all my Developing B2B Sales readers. So here we go…

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Great Service is Unexpected Today

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While watching the Super Bowl as I was recovering from some surgery, I saw an ad – actually a couple of ads which made me laugh – then I realized what a sad truth it was. Do you remember the ad where the guy pulls into a “Service Station” and to his amazement and surprise people came out to “service” his car. They were checking under the hood, cleaning his windshield AND the side windows while another person checked the air pressure in the tires.

Now I may be showing my age, but I remember those days! Service was something you found at service stations. In fact, get ready now – the service station actually had mechanics who could fix things relative to your car!

Getting back to the main character who was driving the car, he was so surprised by these service team, he did not know how to response. In fact, he took the position of this must be bad and they are going to hijack my car or some other act.

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