TRANSCRIPT:
See this as your competitive advantage when you implement a process of touching people multiple times before you make an ask, with scattering of value upfront, before you ask for anything in return because most B2B sales reps are not willing to put in the time and effort to do this. It is something that you can really set yourself apart with in your space.
EXCITING THE PROSPECT
Let’s talk about getting the prospect excited about your product service because that is exactly what you need to do. In B2B sales the prospect is not using their own money they, have a different set of risks that face them versus a B2C sale. If you can get someone excited about your product service they can go and find money in most corporate businesses. Even in small businesses there is always cash available for the right projects.
In B2B sales the prospect is not using their own money they, have a different set of risks that face them versus a B2C sale.
Again, we cover this in the social selling course but clearly you have to the touch the prospect enough times (no, not in that way) to break through obscurity. The prospect needs to know exactly who you are and what you’re selling and then you need to get them super excited about even just the thought of working with you. The great thing is though, is that this happens naturally as you reach out and add value to your community.
SALES FUNNEL
Let’s dive into the sales funnel again, every salesperson knows that you have more leads at the top than deals you pull out the other end. I treat prospecting as its own sales funnel.
There are far more people I’m trying to break through obscurity with, then there are people I’m trying to learn more about, then there are less people I’m trying to qualify, then there are finally people I’m trying to set appointments with.
Therefore, my actions for each of these sections are put in my diary accordingly. Clearly, I’m spending more time breaking through obscurity with people who don’t know, than I am spending time with social selling touch points to get excited about my product.
Of course, it doesn’t always work like this, because it may take more time to do one part of the process and another. For example, getting so excited might take more time than breaking out of obscurity with that individual, but I’m sure you get the point that you need to have more people in the top than in the middle or the bottom.
The only other variable is that when you get a warm lead, or someone who is already excited through a referral or the fact that your product solves the problem directly and immediately and the currently looking for a solution. Of course, you will spend more time with this prospect immediately than with anyone else. In my experience 50% of my business comes from the low hanging fruit that closes really easily. The more you can leverage the low hanging fruit, it easier your life in sales will become.
GETTING INTEL
So, if you break through obscurity with social selling the next step is to gather your Intel on the prospect so that you can begin to qualify them, have conversations, and offer an immediate value upfront.
A Biznology study recently found that 55% of B2B buyers search for information via social media. Why not do them same?
The Intel that you need to bring in includes the following –
• At least one common area of interest between you and the prospect. That could be a hobby, interest, sports team. Use social media to achieve this goal, after all a Biznology study recently found that 55% of B2B buyers search for information via social media. Why not do them same? This will help you build very quick rapport with the prospect during your initial conversations.
• Know the potential size of the deal that you’re going in for. If it is going to be a tiny account in your portfolio you can spend less time on it and of course it has the potential to be a huge account which can bring you 50% of your sales. Target the period then spend your time accordingly.
• Know the probability of the deal closing. This bundles multiple other metrics into one for example how much money they’ve got, how much need they have your product service, whether you are speaking to the right decision maker, whether they know about you or care about you and your products brand ECT. Make sure you know down all of these other metrics in your CRM. But I like this statistic of probability of closing the deal so you have a two glance at to help you spend your time effectively. For example, if you have a meeting cancelled jump straight into your CRM find the highest probability the deals available to you and spend time serving that prospect.
PERSONAL BRANDING
Your personal brand in the Internet age can make everything easier as well. This is often something that sales people do not consider or put any effort into but it can be massively important when you try to close a big B2B sale. To paraphrase Orson Welles, make your personal brand “be unique for yourself yet identifiable for others” as it’ll make stand out from the crowd and get prospects interested.
If you are known in your industry, immediately there is more trust in the conversation without you having to lift a finger. It is an easy to scale way of making your prospecting more efficient. You can even be in the position were prospects reach out to you because they want your thoughts and opinions before they speak to what they consider sales people, as they see you as an industry expert, rather than one of those stereotypical aggressive sales hustlers who are only after their money.
