5 Powers and Golden Rules of Effective B2B Selling
“What got you here would not get you there.” - Marshal Goldsmith
BY : Asit Negi
Introduction
The
workplace of our client is changing and changing very rapidly. The entry of AI,
automation & other technological advancement playing as catalysts. The
sales Process is so different today that was a decade before. It’s entirely a
new ballgame now. Everyone is access to information with a click of a mouse and
giving information to client is no big deal. Cold calling is dead & got
replaced by social selling. Knocking door is considered crime now and follow up
calls without prior information is an intrusion. Decision making process and
buying pattern has changed in entirety. Millennial mindset is way more specific
and rational, and throws surprisingly new challenges to our thought &
Imagination. Clients are soon getting adaptive to new processes, rules and patterns.
Transparent, open and straight to the topic are the new norm beyond formal discussion.
However with all the continuing changes the basic principles remain & will
always be constant. However with principle centricity and adapting to some
basic rules, sales professional get the advantage and will find a place in high
performers club. Our success depends upon how we are using these principles and
rules with the new environment. Following the Rules and using the power
judiciously strengthen to follow principles. It empowers us to exercise our power
of choice and keep situation under control, which is the key for sales
Success. Here is the list of 5 powers
& 5 golden rules to support sales effectiveness especially in B2B
Space.
Sales
Profession is rewarding, but it is more rewarding as never before with the growing
opportunities all around with openness of market & technological adaption. Definitely
for those who stay updated and stay relevant.
How
To Stay Relevant in Sales.
With
the advancement of technology, the market is expanding & so as opportunities.
Free flow of Information is empowering people impacting positively is the thought
process & forcing improvisation of business process. In the consistent
changing situation, what remains constant is the principle. For those
Salespersons who are principle centric and learn to adapt new rules, it will be
easier for them to embrace the change . They very well leverage the situation
& encase the new opportunities in their favors.
5
Basic Powers behind effective B2B
sales:
1. Power of Intent. Intent
is powerful and gets reflected in our behavior. “People judge themselves with
their intent and judge others with their behavior.” quoted by Stephen M R Covey
in his book leading at the Speed of Trust. Be genuinely interested in your
customer and declare your intent explicitly with clear voice. To show it is all
about mutual benefits. When we declare our intent with genuinely we bring
synergy and openness.
Performer’s Trick - Before you declare your intent, it is very important to stay prepared to support your intent. Top performers get specific information about their prospect, stay prepared and show genuine interest to resolve client’s issue. Clients are seeking solution for their issues and top performers shows genuine interest to resolve in best possible way with their product or solution. If it is not matching in this situation well and good and even if not there should not be a feeling of regret or guilt in the mind of your prospect.
2. Power of Relationship: Relationship
Matters: When we are engaged in B2B sales, we are actually engaged in a 1:1
human relationship. The fundamental pillar of a strong relationship is Trust &
where there is trust there is openness.
Communication is transparent and flow of information is fluid. More we have information from clinets more we
understand and better we explore possibilities and opportunities.
Performer’s Trick - To strengthen your relationship , start using Competitive intelligence . CI is the process of sourcing and analyzing data to have the competitive advantage to build communication and plan to beat competition. In simple term it refers to the ability to gather, analyze and use information collected on competitors, customers and other market factors that contribute to competitive advantage.
3. Power of Customer Centricity: Our Solutions
or product does not have intrinsic value if not resolving customer’s issues. People
do not buy just the product or services; they buy solution for their problem. They
are interested in resolving their issue/s. They are not interested in you;
their interest is only on solution. However when we show deep interest in
understanding their issue and put them first, we create an environment of
mutual trust and magic begins to happen.
Performer’s Trick –
Take power of words into your advantage. Use powerful customer specific words
exp. The top performers use more powerful words to make their customer feel
specific. YOU , YOUR’s and YOUR TEAM words more frequently than the
average sales performer. It’s all about making them feel and triggering their
imagination. Words Like Imagine ,Examples , Because etc. helps clients
understanding their WHY!
4. 4. Power of Listening:
Who listens more closes more: Great Sales champions are great listeners.
Ability to listen distinguishes a mediocre to a champion. It makes or breaks
the deal. Listening and understanding the customers and getting approval what
we listen and understood is what he is talking about is the key to our success.
Making them feel understood is the 1st steps towards discussing on
solution with confidence.
Performer’s Trick : On listening your client empathetically you win their confidence. However you can leverage the human senses by triggering their Feeling, seeing and hearing imagination . Exp. By using these you can feel the difference , You can see the difference etc.
Performer’s Trick:
Being attentive is to
stay alert and to stay focused. Successful sales professionals use initial calls
to identify and clarify the clients
issues, to uncover the hidden causes sometimes hidden to clients themselves. But with attention, you can uncover it for
your clients benefit and that will be the great value add and works as a competitive advantage with a potentiality to transform any negative
to positive .
Five
Golden Rules for Effective Selling:
1. Clarify Your Purpose and Set SMART Goal. Be specific about your goal. What you want to
achieve and define your plan of action. Ask why question to yourselves before
you start interacting with clients.
2. Apply 80:20 Rules.
20 % customers will give 80% revenue. 20% accounts will give 80% revenue. But
keeping a balance is important. Find out which 20% accounts to focus more and
stay prepared without neglecting the 80%. Both are important, manage your
plan, focus and attention accordingly.
It works well with building list, working with opportunity , with client
interaction in understanding what are their 20% of the issue giving 80% pain
etc.
3. 1-60 Thumb rules of Aviation. To err is human, doing mistake is not a problem but
not rectifying the mistake at the beginning and repeating the same mistake is
the problem, most of sales professional. Sales organization pay big price in
delayed course correction. You are instrumental in saving millions to your
organization by applying 1-60 thumb rule. In every 60 miles the airplane get diverted 1degree and
it is the duty of the pilot to bring the flight back to the track in order to
reach the destiny on time.
4. Fast in and Fast out . Many of sales
professional got trapped here, just because of misjudgment and assumption. Keeping
on follow-up without understanding yellow lights and red lights in sales cycle
cost millions . The valuable energy you invested could have been saved and
would have been invested somewhere else with greater results. You are valuable
, your time and energy is more precious and valuable. Be sure where you are
putting energy and focus and especially with whom . Keep a track and monitor
regularly.
5. What Gets Measured Gets Improved: Ask Great
questions in great manner. Invest in you in improving in art of asking great question,
and help clients quantify their issues in dollar term. It is very important to
make them understand how it is impacting and costing dollar in short term and
long term. Help them analyze the cost of inaction or wrong action for the issue
we are addressing. It applies well in
your progress as well. When you measure your progress and introspect will help
you taking course correction measure.
Reference
reading -
1. Leading at the speed of Trust - Strephen M R Covey
2. Helping Client Succeed – By Mahan Khalsa
3. 7 Habits of Highly effective People - Dr. Stephen Covey
ASIT NEGI
Asit Negi is the Co-founder of Lorekin Training & Consulting, offers business coaching & Consulting, Customized Sales Training, Assessment & Online Reinforcement. Asit has got 25 years of B2B sales experience. He is a business consultant and coach & helping individual and organizations achieve their results. He has worked with various MNCs including fortune 500 and CMM level IV and V companies as business leader. Before venturing into entrepreneurship, he worked with one of the leading L&D Consulting companies and helped organizations achieving their great results with Productivity, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Trusts and Sales Performance.
We
understand business and how to deliver growth with “ Improve Sales Performance”
and “ Sales Transformation”. To discuss specific
requirement telephone 9718076264 or
reach out to Asit Negi @ asitn@lorekin.com
@ Copy right reserved with Lorekin Training & Consulting
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