Presentation is everything, from food and fashion to thought leadership and value propositions. There’s a lot riding on how well your team articulates the customer’s problem and presents the value of your solution. When it’s done clearly, persuasively, and with a sense of urgency, buyers will take action quickly and decisively in your favor.
When you get right down to it, B2B deals are driven by the buyers’ desire to lower costs or grow sales. Even if they tell you they want to “mitigate risks” or “achieve compliance,” buyers still expect to achieve their desired outcome along with a positive impact to their bottom line.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Mike Serulneck, an accomplished (and now happily retired) value engineer, who shared his experience using value selling methodologies to sell technology solutions, as well as his perspective on how value selling has changed over the last decade.
A solid business case is essential for conveying the value of your solution through its obvious and more subtle advantages. When properly prepared, a business case informs and challenges customers to consider new perspectives, and gives you an opportunity to seal the deal with speed and confidence.
Buyers go through a natural process when deciding to invest in a technology solution. The most successful sales approaches guide customers through that process quickly, confidently, and collaboratively.
Upselling and cross-selling are strategic sales processes that can increase revenue and market penetration. Once a prospect or customer is “sold” on your product, you have a unique opportunity to provide additional value with enhanced and complementary products, if you fully understand your B2B customers’ needs. Building a solid business case for these opportunities is just as critical as it was for the initial sale.
Selling software solutions isn’t as easy as it once was. Between the economic uncertainty and the increasing sophistication of buyers, you’ll need to work harder to convince companies that your solution is the right one for them.
Whenever I hear someone talk about finding their unique selling point, the hair on the back of my neck stands on end. If you are in complex B2B selling, don’t waste your time looking for a unique selling point. Instead, deeply know your value proposition, which includes all the unique things you do.
Buyers tend to take the same journey every time they make a high-commitment purchase. They realize there is a problem and begin researching potential solutions. Unfortunately, they are not always methodical in their search.
Just when you think you have clinched the sale, the buyer springs a competitor on you, or someone inside the buyer’s company is suddenly suggesting an alternative method.
