B2B sales is different. Deals are often larger, which raises the stakes. Sales cycles can take weeks to years. A B2B salesperson has to be able to cultivate relationships with multiple decision-makers and provide endless hours of consulting before a sale is even made. Adding to this is a need to educate, engage, and most importantly evolve with the ever-changing needs of the industries you serve. With that in mind, we put together a guide featuring the latest B2B sales trends as well as some tips and tricks for success.
Tracking current B2B sales trends is crucial.
Let’s kick off with some of the most notable sales trends currently occurring across the B2B landscape:
Digital Engagement
Customers are increasingly preferring digital channels for sales and marketing interactions. Phone calls, emails, and video conferencing are identified as the most effective remote sales channels.
Hybrid B2B Sales Models
Based on research by McKinsey & Company, hybrid sales drive up to 50 percent more revenue by enabling broader, deeper customer engagement and unlocking a more diverse talent pool than more traditional models.
Minimal Time with B2B Sales Reps
Gartner’s research reveals that B2B buyers allocate only 5-17% of their time to interactions with salespeople during the buying process. Consequently, efficiency in sales and marketing interactions is pivotal.
Optimizing Customer Interaction
The integration of omnichannel access, social media research, and data analytics are indispensable tools for enhancing sales performance.
Seller-Free Buying Choices
According to HupSpot’s report on global sales trends, sales efficiency has been redefined by automation and technology, and new sales intelligence apps are introduced every week. As such, businesses are encouraged to develop self-service buying platforms and explore inbound sales strategies.
Alignment of Marketing and B2B Sales
The B2B sales landscape necessitates a harmonious alignment between marketing and sales teams. Delivering insightful, educational, and even disruptive content to your prospects can make a huge impact on close rates and shortening sales cycles.
Value of Marketing Content
B2B customers are increasingly allocating more time to engaging with marketing content than with sales teams.
The best B2B sales tips and tricks
Drawing from real-world expertise, here are nine pragmatic tips from seasoned insiders who consistently secure substantial B2B sales:
Utilize PR as a powerful tool
Instead of writing a press release and hoping the media turns that into news, write feature articles and facilitate the placement of those in top-tier publications. This allows you total control of the content and messaging, including your value proposition, differentiators, and key benefits directly to your target audience.
Subscribe to your prospect’s content
Subscribing to the content shared by your prospects, such as blogs, newsletters, or social media updates, affords invaluable insights into their business priorities and customer engagement strategies.
Emphasize business outcomes
Shift the focus from products or services to the real and tangible business results that you can deliver. Think benefits over product features.
Clarify your value proposition
Precisely communicate your unique value proposition, particularly when catering to multi-million-dollar businesses. Be transparent and clear about what sets you apart from competitors and how the value you provide is essential.
Stand firm on premium pricing
Trustworthy and prosperous businesses prioritize value over price. Standing resolutely behind premium pricing can lead to more substantial and more frequent sales.
Unearth challenges
Seek to understand the challenges confronting the businesses you engage with and their corresponding financial implications. This understanding can exponentially enhance your sales strategy.
B2B sales is undergoing a transformative evolution, expanding into countless possibilities. The contemporary landscape presents an array of communication channels for customer interactions, broader access to decision-makers, and accessibility to address customers’ most pressing challenges. Implement these latest B2B sales trends, tips, and tricks and your business is sure to see success.
We understand your time is limited and navigating the ever-shifting landscape of B2B sales can be time-consuming. Rankin PR can help amplify awareness, build credibility, and fuel growth. Contact us to learn how!