 Kevin Davis' new book, Slow Down, Sell Faster, thoughtfully explains how sales people can speed up business-to-business sales by slowing down to get into synch with each customer's buying process. The key to this, in Davis' view, is to match the focus + timing of sales efforts to each buyer's needs. The magic in this, in my view, is how it can transform the buyer experience.
A recent study from McKinsey on the basics of B2B sales success notes that "B2B customers say they care most about product + price, but what they really want is a great sales experience." Hmmm ...
Are buyers getting valuable sales experiences today? I wonder. As firms have moved to squeeze more revenues from sales teams, they've created activity-based accountabilities; sales cultures in which if what you're doing isn't working, 'try harder'. Do more with less. The result: sales people are often too busy to be helpful to buyers. As a consequence, the hardest thing for buyers to find, these days? Help.
It's created a stark disconnect between what sales teams do + what buyers seek. Sales teams are communicating value. Content distribution + consumption metrics are king. Lead scores emerge. Sales calls get made. Activities get recorded. Everyone on the sales team is really busy. Often so busy they haven't the time to be exceptionally helpful. They're spending half their time NOT selling. Perhaps being busy is counter-productive.
Buyer's confirm it in McKinsey's findings. Of the many habits that undermine the sales experience, over 1/3 involved contacting customers too frequently.
Their findings suggest customers want fewer, more meaningful interactions with sales people. This aligns with what sales experts like Keith Davis, Neil Rackham, Jill Konrath, + John Monoky have been saying. Sales teams should shift from being busy to being productive; from communicating value to creating value. Give buyers help that's so helpful, they'd pay for it if asked. To the helpful will go the rewards. The gold in this conclusion? McKinsey estimates hi performing sales teams can boost their share of their customers' business by 8-15%.
So, how can it be done? Two keys:
FIRST, KNOW IF YOU'RE CREATING VALUE: get in the habit of measuring the success of each sales interaction by what your customer does afterwards; you'll become more attuned to seeing the process through their eyes. In my view, you'll also discover the success with which your efforts provoke buyers to take action. The only sales efforts that count are ones that induce proof of continued buyer commitment to the process.
SECOND, GAUGE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY VIA BUYER MILESTONES: get more scheduled 1st sales appointments. Produce Memorandums of Understanding, summarizing buyer requirements + the buyer value of solutions which might address those requirements. Produce winning proposals and fear-conquering details buyers need with which to then negotiate terms + commit to buying. Then teach new customers how to achieve maximum value from the solution they've purchased. Then, look for proof of each milestone via buyer actions; know where you are with each buyer, by seeing which actions each buyer's taken.
In Davis' view, salespeople who slow down, and sell faster, get great satisfaction out of helping customers buy more effectively. They also differentiate themselves by HOW they sell, not just WHAT they sell. As one buyer once said to one Amacus user: "Dave, I knew it'd be you calling. You're always there for me when I need you." She bought the next day. In an era of frazzled buyers + hyper-busy sales people, this stuff works.
| John Cousineau - |
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John Cousineau is CEO, innovativeinfo.com. Makers of Amacus, the ONLY tool triggering B2B sales productivity by revealing Return-on-Effort from sales activities. Read More >> |
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With More Learning, B2B Sales Can Be Hard Fun
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