Knowing the Customer

Alert! Your Customer Does Not Need Your Information

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One of the biggest changes in the world of b2b sales is the FACT – Your Customers No Longer Need Your Information About Products or Services.

Okay, some of you are yelling at me now since this is your world of selling – to do feature and benefit presentations to your targets. (Can’t call them customers or even prospects, just targets for your presentation.) And, it does not matter if you were told by your sales manager to go deliver this presentation. It is time to think about the people you are selling.

Now is the time to begin to set up a strategy for selling the way customers are buying rather than force feed data dumps on these people. Sorry if I’m sounding like a preacher or someone like that – I’m only trying to get a very important message to you – the b2b sales star of the future.

What has caused this change on the part of the buyer? There appear to be a couple of major reasons. These are…

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Recognizing the 3-E’s a Customer Wants in B2B Sales

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Musing on the topic of “What do Customers Want When Assessing a B2B Sales Person or Company?”

This topic seems to lack any clarity regarding what customers want and relating that to what they are willing to pay when they find it?

Okay, I’m back to the world of reality now, so let’s look at exactly what your customers are thinking about when they become aware they need help and assistance to move forward. It really is quite simple once you realize you can categorize what they are looking for from you.

The Three E’s provide the clarity of their want and then you can position yourself or your company to meet those wants. So, what are the 3-E’s? Let’s take a look at the Three E’s…

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How to Get a Target’s Organization Chart

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Attention to Detail is not always a strength of b2b sales people, which is one reason why so many b2b sales people fail to get an organizational chart (a.k.a. – org chart) on their target accounts.

Yet, this tool is one of the most important elements you can build or obtain on a targeted account. This is the formal structure used by the customer or prospect to run their business operation – including the hierarchy for decision making.

If this is so valuable why do so few b2b sales people fail to get or build one?

Usually because they either don’t understand the importance or are afraid to ask for one feeling rejection of their request would damage their relationship with their contacts.

Here is a clue your relationship is lacking some trust or credibility. I know when I have a good or great relationship built with a potential client, they are eager in most cases to provide me with an org chart.

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12 Steps to Dislodging a Competitor

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Okay, maybe the title is a little misleading, however not by much. The reality is your sales skills and the use of the questioning model of selling are your true ally for dislodging the competition.

That being said, there are twelve questions to ask your coach or champion within a targeted account to gain insight into how to dislodge the competitor. These questions must be answered before you visit the key decision maker.

So here are the twelve questions to have answered prior to getting with the decision maker…

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Five Common Traits of a Qualified Potential Customer

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Okay, I know – a potential customer is a prospect. I enjoy using my own terms even if I’m sharing the five most common traits of the prospect for you.

First, remember this important statement…

You must be standing in front of qualified prospects if you want to succeed in b2b sales.

Unqualified prospective customers are all over the map in your wasting or losing valuable time. And, these people are really good at wasting your time.

As a b2b sales person, you need to be paying attention and locating the qualified buyers who can make a serious difference in your b2b sales success.

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How to Learn if You Have a Business Fit with a Prospect?

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Last week I had a couple of people ask me about “how do you know if you have a business fit with a prospect?” Which I thought was a good question and there are probably a few others out there wanting to know the answer to this question.

So, let’s discuss a business fit. What exactly is a business fit? I feel there are actually two levels to consider when answering this question.

The first one is about having a ROI for your outcome to assist the potential customer or prospect in making a decision. Therefore, this answer is more about business acumen and knowing the financial results of your offering. This is more of a logical approach.

The second is -in my opinion – more important to discover and reflect upon during your visits with a potential customer. What I’m talking about here is more of a psychographical point of view. This is about the potential customer’s ability to fit with your company and especially your offer.

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Four Signs of an Excellent Customer Coach

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I was thinking about the previous b2b sales tips on identifying and finding a coach within your customer’s account. Then it occurred to me, how do you know if you have an “excellent” coach in your customer’s account?

So, here are four critical signs you can use to evaluate the quality of your Coach.

Four Critical Signs You Have an Excellent Coach…

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How Does Your Coach Win in B2B Sales?

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Continuing the theme on identifying and developing a coach to help you win an account, I need to clarify how a coach actually wins. Since they are number of ways a coach wins, I want to share the major wins coaches receive when you win.

The following are the major wins experienced by most coaches you find who fit the previous list of best coach traits.

Let’s look at the major win possibilities for your new coach…

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9 Points to Uncover about Your Customer

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Sometimes in the rush to move through the sales process and get to the close we forget to learn important facts about the customer’s organization and the direction lead by their executives.

Learning about the organization’s direction and management strategies will allow you to make a better offering and win the account.

I believe you need to uncover about nine key items relative to both direction and strategies of your potential customer’s organization. Learning these points will allow you to create a business plan or fit to the customer’s vision.

Here are the nine points to uncover from your customer…

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Four Things You Need Before the First B2B Meeting

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Got a question from my one of my clients this week, asking me what a b2b sales person needs to have prior to making their first b2b sales call?

So, what do you have before you make your first b2b sales call? The first meeting with a possible decision maker in the b2b sales process?

Here are the four things that you can research prior to that first meeting. These four items will give you some additional insight into figuring out the business fit between your company and the prospect or customer.

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