General or Specific Questions?

Since questions and the questioning model are so critical to your b2b sales success, I want to cover the importance and difference between general and specific questions. There is a direct relationship between general and specific questions usage in the b2b sales process.

First, as a reminder, why are you using questions in the b2b sales process?

Because using questions engage the buyer and involve them in creating a solution for their issues and concerns. Questions are used to gain the prospects interest and attention to solving a problem – their problem and the associated pain of their problem.

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Five Concerns About Current Vendors

Continuing the theme of finding possible issues, problems or concerns you need to be looking for in your b2b sales process, you should be aware of five typical concerns customers or prospects have about their current vendors.

These five concerns are very real. When you find a customer or prospect who will confirm this is one of their issues, you are much closer to making a sales or winning an account – assuming you will solve this issue for that customer or prospect.

Here are the five concerns about current vendors…

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Three Areas of Business Issue Focus

After discussing the use of the questioning model to verify and confirm problems and concerns, I got several emails asking what are the primary areas of business focus using the questioning model. They understood the list of problems and concerns, yet, each person wanted to know how to relate them to business issues.

There are the three major areas of business interest that you will want to cover in your questioning process. Remember, when you uncover the issues and verify or confirm their intensity, you will be well on your way to making the b2b sales that will move you to the top.

Here are the Three Areas of Business Issues or Interest for your b2b sales focus…

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Identifying Problems and Concerns is B2B Job One

Enough dancing around the topic, your number one b2b job is to identify and confirm problems and concerns held by your prospect or customer. Everything hinges off of this discovery.

Yes, I know making the sale or winning the account is important. Yet, the fastest way to achieve winning the sale or account is learn about the real problems or concerns the decision maker places at the top of their agenda.

The method you use is the questioning model. Asking questions about possible or potential issues are designed to uncover or confirm the problem or issue does exist for this prospect or customer. This is really your key to the lock on the vault. Use it wisely.

So, what topics or issues do you ask questions about to learn this great information. Here is list of possible issues for b2b sales people…

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Three Essentials for Partnering

Seems to be a number of partnering or joint venture opportunities these days, and there are right and wrong ways to deal with these possible growth strategies.

The one thing I hear from some of the sales executives involved in forming partnerships or joint ventures that is a sign of failure is the thought process these are just easy ways to gain a foothold in customer accounts.

Let me tell you – as a consultant and business adviser for over 29 years – there is no such thing as an easy partnership or joint venture. It takes effort on the part of everyone involved.

Let me share with you the three essentials necessary for a partnership or joint venture to operate smoothly. The people and companies who understand these essential elements or truths, no have more success in the long run due to the comfort level of customers knowing they are working with multiple suppliers.

So, here are the three essential elements or truths of partnering…

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B2B Sales Presentation Tips

“Can you or should you use your b2b prospect or customer’s logo in your sales presentation?”

Several times this question has come up from sales people so I thought I should share my response to help as many b2b sales people as possible.

The answer is “Yes,” you should use their logo when you are talking about a proposal to the company. However, their are a couple of additional tips to offer you as well as a couple of things to check.

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Seven Types of B2B Selling

I keep getting questions about the types of b2b selling. Then I get additional questions regarding how do the different types match up. Or what is important with each type or model of selling?

So today I want to clear the air and tell you about the seven types of b2b selling you can use. And, I will give some background to each type. What I will not do is label all the different sales training and development packages. Each seems to have added their name to one of the original b2b sales methods.

So, here you are – the seven different b2b sales methods…

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40 Reasons to Ask Questions in B2B Sales

Again, I am surprised by the amount of push back I get regarding the use of questions in b2b sales today. It is the key sales skill necessary for continuous b2b sales success.

So, if you need more reasons for using questions in your b2b sales process, here are forty reasons to use questions…

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Two Methods for Using Business Letters

Got some questions from sales people asking about how they should use business letters or direct mail in their sales process?

This is a great question at this time since most b2b sales people think the only thing working today is email. Email is a great tool for immediate responses after you have made contact with a customer or an existing customer who uses the email as an electronic delivery service and a paperless “green thing.”

Email is great for transacting current business, yet, it is not easy to use for prospects or people within companies you have not done business with in the past. In fact, the CAN-SPAM Act has made it a very expensive legal issue to use unsolicited email to individuals or companies. It can cost you up to $10,000 per emailed account – so beware of sending out unsolicited emails.

Business development or prospecting can be very effective using the old direct mail process. Today, direct mail is making a comeback since most people are not using it properly. In fact, it is pretty simple and there are only two true methods in my opinion to use direct mail.

These two methods are…

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Four Buying Signals for B2B Sales Success

Several times when coaching my sales clients, I get this common question – “How do you know when a customer is ready to buy?”

This question opens the door to when does a b2b sales person need to ask for the business or to gain a commitment from the customer. I know some of you are thinking this is about closing the sale. Well, I believe you ask for the business in simple ways – you do not need 101 ways to close a sales in b2b selling.

What you do need is a keen eye for the buying signals from your customer. This offers you the opportunity to check for agreement and gain a commitment for the next step of the sales process – which could be just asking for the business.

So here are four common buying signals for you to master as a b2b sales person.

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