What a Digital Marketer Learned By Being a B2B Salesperson

I needed to step up as a salesperson when our organization had no sales team.

I was generating good, high quality leads, but there was no one to nurture them along the sales funnel.

I stepped up.

People want to be treated like people and I was determined to do that.

Give Thoughtful Gifts

Example - my best sales tactic was to gift a person a book.

I would casually ask if they've read a book by a thought leader. If they said no, I made sure to send them the book before our next scheduled call.

This shows a continued vested interest in their success and a dedication to educating them. Engineered kindness, for under $20.

Can't beat that.

When you treat people considerately and deliberately you are able to make real connection.

People Want To Give You Feedback

...but not to your face. 

Ask your prospects how they are feeling about the sales representative that they are working with through a survey tool.

This will show the person that your organization cares about them and creates trust.

If You Ask, They Will Love

People drive decision making in the B2B world.

In research we conducted at PeopleMetrics, the winning companies in B2B buying decisions were the high-touch interactions when their sales reps had multiple interactions via phone, email, and in-person with the buyer.

We also saw that the value you provide in the sales process can increase your contract size by 37%. The value of your meetings drive a purchase decision, and then drives how much they should purchase.

Just Send A Survey Already

Many B2B companies are actively managing their client feedback - but 7 in 10 buyers have never been asked for feedback on the prospect side. 81% of those people who hadn't been asked said they would definitely or likely respond.

Everyone knows that buyers learn a lot before they even raise their hand to be interacted with a sales rep. Buyers spend almost 86 hours in the sales and selection process, and have to include up to 5 team members before they sign a contract.

It's important, when they come to you, that you add value.