This Is Next Level Selling: Do You Have What It Takes?
Learn…
Why traditional b2b selling methods are increasingly failing to achieve the desired results
What you can do to adapt and thrive in this new selling environment
Whether you are ready for it
The Challenge:
Traditional Selling Methods are increasingly failing to achieve the desired Results.
Here’s proof of the declining effectiveness of traditional selling methods:
Only 1-2% of cold calls ultimately convert into appointments, and effectiveness is decreasing.
A success rate of 1-2% is just horrible. What’s further disheartening is that the trend is downwards: In 2007 it took 3.68 cold call attempts to reach a prospect. Today it takes 8 attempts.
This indicates that cold calling, a staple of traditional selling, has become largely ineffective in the modern business landscape.
Sales emails are getting ignored.
The average office worker now receives 121 emails per day. This volume makes it increasingly difficult for sales emails (a traditional outreach method) to stand out and engage potential buyers.
Sales pitching has become ineffective.
According to Salesforce, 76% of buyers now expect salespeople to understand their needs and expectations. Traditional selling methods, which often involve scripted pitches, are failing to meet modern buyers’ expectations for personalized and consultative engagements. 96% of B2B buyers prefer content with input from industry thought leaders. They want educational content that adds value and builds rapport, instead of being pitched a product or solution.
Sales Cycles are getting longer.
Traditional selling methods are struggling to keep up with the lengthening sales cycles. According to CSO Insights, the percentage of salespeople making quota has dropped from 63% to 53% over a 5-year period, indicating that traditional sales tactics are becoming less effective in closing deals.
Put bluntly: Traditional B2B sales methods are no longer working to engage modern buyers
The Solution:
A proven, structured and scalable Selling Framework that caters to modern Buyers’ needs.
Gone are the days when customers solely relied on salespeople for product information. The internet and the buyers' journey have long transformed the dynamics of sales, making it easy for buyers to do their research first, before contacting a seller.
Therefore, it has become essential for sellers to adapt to the changing needs, and cater to the preferences of these new buyers.
Buyers no longer want to be squeezed into a sales process. They want sellers to respect their buying process.
They want a sales strategy and process that guides the buyer right from the first point of contact, down to the point of transaction, and even beyond.
The Old Way:
Selling How Your Sellers Want To Sell
Did you know the traditional Sales Funnel is 125 years old? That it was first invented back in 1898?
That was a time when the first automobiles were just being released to the public, replacing the old horse and cart.
Back then, sellers controlled all the product information, while buyers relied heavily on salespeople for guidance.
However, with the rise of the internet and its stream of readily available information, this balance of power has long since shifted, and in a big way!
So, ask Yourself:
Why are we still using an outmoded Selling Model?
The old sales funnel that was first invented in 1898.
The world of sales looked a lot different then, compared to now.
Today's buyers are well-informed, conducting extensive research on their options and choices, long before engaging with a salesperson.
They want to feel in charge and they want their needs met.
In fact, they no longer tolerate your unsolicited sales pitches, cold calls, or generic outreaches.
That means it's time for sellers to align their approach with the needs and wants of today’s buyers.
In other words: Sell how your buyers want to buy.
The Modern Way:
Selling How Your Buyers Want to Buy
What’s now needed is a modern and proven selling framework that caters to the needs and wants of modern buyers.
One that engages buyers through your thought leadership and your domain expertise.
It empowers sellers to build rapport, even trust, establish credibility, and develop strong relationships with buyers throughout their buying journey. By focusing on providing thought leadership that addresses buyers' challenges and pain points, this approach eliminates the need for traditional unsolicited sales tactics.
Last, not least, by understanding your buyers your reps can optimise their efforts by providing a personalised and enjoyable buying experience.
Now make your selling Buyer-Focused.
There are 10 specific Buyer-Focused Competencies that any business wanting to call itself Buyer-Focused needs to have in place.
Unlike its 125-year-old predecessor, the modern Buyer-Focused Sales Funnel aligns with your buyers’ buying process.
Engaging buyers that way feels more natural and less salesy, for both buyers and sellers alike, making for a far more pleasant buying experience.
The 10 competencies guide the buyer right from the very top of your modern sales funnel, through the middle, and right to the very bottom (and then back again).
Any business that wants to call itself Buyer-Focused
needs to have 10 specific Buyer-Focused Selling Competencies in place.
Test Yourself Here:
How Many Do You Have?
Find Out:
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The 10 Modern Selling Competencies You Now Need To Have
1. Have A Brand Promise:
This is not something esoteric, nor is it trivial.
When a prospect decides which vendor to contact, one of the criteria they use to decide which vendors to put on their shortlist is customer experience. They'll ask themselves: "What's it like to be their customer?".
Very few sellers mention customer experience on their website or in their collateral.
This is where your business can stand out. It's a huge differentiator.
Together, we'll develop a brand promise that clearly and succinctly communicates what kind of customer experience your buyers can expect from your business.
Here's an example of a brand promise we co-created with a client in California, USA.
A client logo with their brand promise.
In this example, at just one glance you can tell exactly what you as a customer can expect from this business:
Expertise: "Aha: They know what they're doing". --> I.e. they can help me.
Speed: "Aha: They won't dillydally around". --> I.e. they won't waste my time.
Results: "Aha: They'll deliver". --> I.e. they'll bring us success and they'll make me look good to my boss.
So you can see just how important a good brand promise really is to attract the right kind of buyers to your business in the first place.
2. Have Very Clear Products and Services Descriptions:
An old saying goes: “A confused mind says No”.
When buyers don’t understand what you’re selling, they will not say so. Instead, they will make some excuse to just walk away and never shortlist you as a potential vendor: “Thank you, its not what were looking for."
So, it is super important that you make it easy for your buyers to understand exactly what it is they are getting from your business.
Otherwise, you’ll lose the opportunity before you’ve even had a chance to engage them.
3. A Truly Differentiating Value Proposition
What makes your business different from that of your competitors? Why should a buyer be interested in what you’re selling? Answer this question with a unique value proposition.
Many business leaders THINK they have a unique value proposition (UVP), aka a unique selling proposition (USP), that differentiates their business.
Unfortunately, most businesses don't.
Even worse, many focus on what the business does, i.e. on its products and services. However, what potential buyers want to know most is how your business is DIFFERENT from the others, and what's in it for them.
So, your UVP needs to truly differentiate your business from your competitors' and make you unique in the eyes of your buyers. Of course, your UVP needs to be real, and you need to be able to back up your UVP with facts.
Importantly: Your value proposition must speak to the benefits you bring to your buyer. Talk about WHAT you do for them, not HOW you do it. There is an important difference!
4. Know Your Ideal Buyers
There is little point in selling to the wrong kind of customers. You'll waste a whole lot of time, effort and money, if you do.
So, it's critical that you define your ideal customer persona (ICP) before going out to promote your business and advertise your offerings.
Narrow down your ICP by specifying at least 7 criteria, such as your ideal buyers' location, industry, business size, their job title, and even their personal ambitions, so you can target them accurately and effectively.
5. Know Where To Find Your Buyers:
Now that you know WHO your ideal buyers are, it is vital for you to know WHERE they are, so you can reach out to them effectively.
6. Know How To Engage (Not Ambush) Your Buyers:
This is the most critical competency in the whole Buyer-Focused Sales Funnel.
Unfortunately, most sellers still use lazy "Spray & Pray" approaches to prospect engagement. Sending thousands of automated sales messages in the hope of catching a prospect just as they are looking for what you're selling.
At Peter Strohkorb Sales Advisory, we make a huge distinction between "reaching out" to our ideal buyers, versus "engaging them in a business conversation".
In a previous article I have outlined the only 3 ways you can engage senior executive buyers these days. There, I describe how you create a “Lean-Forward Moment”, i.e. literally make your prospects lean forward and take an active interest in what you just told them, thus initiating a meaningful business conversation, instead of merely hitting them up with a sales pitch.
We work with our clients on the exact words they can use to engage their ideal buyers at the very first point of contact. And we make it work for you, regardless of whether the engagement is inbound or outbound.
Contact us if that's something you'd like to explore further.
7. Knowing How To Fend Off Your Competitors:
Very rarely will your business be the only one in the race a deal. Instead, you'll have to beat any number of other businesses that are also competing for the same prize.
We help our clients to discover what they can do to end up the last vendor standing, the one that wins the deal.
We teach our clients a proven method that kills your competitors dead, yet without badmouthing them.
Instead, our clients achieve this by sowing fear and doubt about your competitors by proactively raising the one subject that your competitors will not want to touch.
Talk to us, if you'd like to know more about this technique.
8. A Structured Proposal Process:
Did you know? Almost the worst thing a seller can do when being asked to provide a sales proposal is… to provide a sales proposal!
Here’s why: Most businesses have a sales process. However, very few have a sales proposal process, even though it gives them a huge unfair advantage. We teach our clients this very effective technique.
This is what one client said afterwards:
"This one technique just helped us secure a new multi-million Dollar project."
— Corey Veverka, President, TVS Inc, USA
9. A Superior Buying Experience:
Give your buyers such a great pre, during, and post-purchase experience that they come back for more and bring you repeat business. A great pre-during- and post -purchase experience is more than just a "nice to have". In fact, it will be a huge boon for your business as it turns first-time buyers into repeat customers, and it turns repeat customers into advocates who refer new sales opportunities to you.
Our clients learn the 7 simple, yet effective, customer experience principles to use in their business.
Talk to us, if you'd like to know more about this technique.
10. An Effective Referral Selling System:
Referrals make the best leads.
According to IDC, 73% of buyer executives prefer to work with sales professionals who were referred by someone they know.
I mean, what could be easier than engaging with someone who has already been pre-qualified by someone you whose opinion you trust? You just pick up the conversation from there.
But did you know that very few sellers have a structured Referral Selling System that helps them to manage and measure their referrals? Let's face it: Most sellers ask for referrals only sporadically, only when they think of it.
Referrals are the easiest and most effective way to gain new leads and win new customers.
Our clients discover how to turn their repeat customers into advocates who happily refer new business to them. We do that by setting up a great REFERRAL SELLING SYSTEM, with a proper structure and actionable metrics.
So you can measure and manage your success.
Now Find Out:
Conclusion
In today's buyer-driven market, Buyer-Focused Selling enables sellers to engage potential buyers in a way that aligns with modern buyers and their wants and needs.
By prioritising sellers’ thought leadership, expertise and personalised interactions, this highly effective sales approach enables businesses to engage their ideal buyers effectively, build lasting relationship and drive sustainable revenue growth.
Now Choose Your Next Step:
Learn more about implementing Buyer-Focused Selling into your business.
Assess your current sales approach to gain clarity on exactly where you can improve.
Schedule a Free Information Call to discover how it applies to you and your business.
Book a private Information Call with Peter Strohkorb