The promise of improved employee productivity when selling B2B technology solutions is often met with customer skepticism. The value of potential labor savings is obvious, whereas productivity improvements are more nuanced. In reality, they work together to build a persuasive business case that secures buy-in.
The stakes are high in today’s hyper-competitive sales environment. Having a compelling offering remains fundamental, as does the need for a well-structured business case that quantifies ROI. Here’s what your sales team should know about business cases before they submit their next proposal.
Business-to-business (B2B) selling is complex, especially when justifying the price of a solution. Today’s buyers are increasingly discerning and value-driven, so B2B sellers must thoroughly understand their buyers' needs and their solution’s value. A value selling methodology and ROI tools can help.
Developing a solid business case is a critical step in the B2B sales process. It involves creating a clear and comprehensive argument that presents the financial benefits of a solution so that a customer can make an informed purchasing decision.
Have you noticed your average sale price dropping?
Maybe it’s because your salespeople are too quick to offer customers a discount when they’re challenged about price. As their manager, it’s up to you to coach your sales reps on techniques to avoid the price discussion altogether or at least delay it until the full value of your solution has been presented.
Here are three tips to help you coach your sales reps in techniques that will help them avoid price discounting and the price discussion altogether.
Salesforce UK published an article in November about how to respond effectively to sales objections.
I would like to respond to some of the article’s statements because I believe there is a better way to handle some of the objections mentioned.
In some cases, the objections shouldn’t even come up because the customer will have found the answers themselves. If not, you can be armed with the objection and your response by the time the customer calls you.
Here is how I think you can handle sales objections more successfully.
The most successful sales reps focus on understanding the customer's business, especially when it comes to solution selling.
These sales reps engage in what some have now dubbed “The Challenger Sale.”
But what exactly is it and how does it align with value selling?
Let’s take a closer look.
The most effective way to motivate buyers is to quantify a solution’s value.
While marketing and sales organizations often produce rich content that supports various aspects of the buyer’s journey, they often fail to communicate value as a bottom-line differentiator. When this happens, they lose an important opportunity to persuade buyers and business decision makers.
In order to capitalize on this opportunity, value must be communicated to three distinct audiences: buyers, the buying committee and the finance team. Each group has a unique perspective, and their interests must be clearly addressed by your sales reps.
Everyone loves a good story – from fables and folktales to case studies and compelling copy in marketing campaigns. A well-crafted story clearly illustrates how your solution adds value to an organization, and elicits a positive emotional response from the reader. If you can help readers visualize the benefits of your product or service, you are many steps closer to closing the sale.
One of the greatest advantages in selling is the ability to understand how CFOs (a typical approver) think. That’s particularly true if you’re selling a technology solution. Why? Tech sales generally represent large investments, and the job of any CFO is to make sure that any major expenditure will yield measurable results and a good ROI.
As the steward of money within the company, CFOs wants to make smart investments. Your job as a seller is to provide proof of value. Although you might be extremely personable, likeable, and engaging, it’s important to realize that the typical personality of CFOs is not built to make decisions based on whether or not they like you.
