Selling is always a challenge, but this year it seems like we have even more to worry about: competitors increasingly offer lower-cost alternatives, finding true value propositions in crowded spaces is a struggle, and learning how to elude the gatekeepers that block you from decision-makers hasn’t gotten any easier. Then you’ve to waste time making cold calls that are never answered, trying to warm up dying leads, and struggling to close deals.
How are you expected to actually make any sales with all these obstacles to overcome?
Break up your sales routine
After calling a prospect several times and failing to make contact, you might be compelled to either give up or keep calling with no expectations of actually reaching the lead.
Instead, mix it up: try emailing this prospect—perhaps they simply loathe phone calls but always respond to email. You could also reach out on social media. Trying different ways to connect with a lead could garner better results than continuing to beat your head against the wall.
Be respectful of what your lead is telling you
You tend to look at the sales process from your own perspective, but imagine for a moment what it’s like as a buyer. All day long sellers call you. It can quickly become overwhelming to be contacted by dozens of sales reps, which can sometimes cause a lead to be rude.
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Before it gets to that point, pay attention to what your lead is telling you, either subtly or blatantly. If they keep putting you off or avoiding your calls, back off. Be respectful of your prospective buyer’s need for space. Instead, send them a webinar invite, a white paper, or another useful resource and then step back.
Push through to close the deal mindfully
You had the champagne chilling, ready to celebrate landing a big deal, but it slips through your fingers or else the lead keeps delaying a decision. The key is not to give up yet.
Ask your potential client questions like, What are the deal-breakers here? Who else are you looking at? What is your budget, bottom-line?
If you feel like the close may be slipping away, get specific and remind your prospect why they were interested in you initially and unearth the hurdles to the close. Be assertive but not pushy (it’s a fine line).
Leverage flexibility and creativity into the process. If your buyer is balking at the cost, rework the solution, tailoring it to the situation. If a competitor is offering a sweet incentive, see if you can match it.
Look for leads in a smarter place
The quality of your leads is directly correlated to the results you’ll get. After all, if you are working with poor leads, you are headed down a dead-end street.
Depending on where you’re finding your leads, there might be better places, such as LinkedIn, which is a great place to find and nurture qualified leads. According to Sales Hacker, sales reps spend about 6 hours a week on LinkedIn seeking leads. There are large, active groups bent on discussing the trends of your target industry on LinkedIn; find a few and start building connections by providing insight and value.
Another resource for smart leads? Email. Despite all the noise in the marketing ecosphere, email marketing may still be the best way to generate solid leads for B2B businesses. Leverage email automation and personalization to create the perfect amalgam to appeal to your audience.
Yes, there will always be challenges when it comes to sales. It’s how you meet them that makes the difference between letting these obstacles defeat you or simply give you something to overcome.
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The post Overcoming the Most Common Sales Challenges appeared first on AllBusiness.com
The post Overcoming the Most Common Sales Challenges appeared first on AllBusiness.com. Click for more information about Brenda Stoltz.
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