If you are interested in B2B sales prospecting techniques, you might be interested in learning more about what it is, how to do it, and how to be successful.
B2B sales is simply one business selling products or services to another. B2B prospecting is identifying potential customers (known as prospects, which is why you are prospecting), reaching out to them, and eventually turning them into customers.
B2B prospecting has multiple steps. The first step, like in any other type of sales, is having an in-depth understanding of all your product and service offerings and understanding to sell them properly. This would include knowing how to justify the purchase to different types of customers.
Besides that, to do sales prospecting, you will need to prospect for potential customers, do research, pitch the customers, handle all types of objections and nurture your clients.
This guide will walk you through the ins and outs of prospecting, as well as, touch upon specific concerns and questions you may have. This will include mistakes to avoid, tech to use to make your job easier, effective prospecting techniques, and learning the art of follow-up. If you want to master B2B prospecting, this guide is for you!
What Are Some Challenges of B2B Sale Prospecting?
Although there are many successful B2B sales prospecting techniques you can use, it is essential to also understand the challenges that will come up and how to deal with them. You will have a much easier time converting leads to clients if you have a firm grasp of common challenges and how to meet them head-on.
One of the most common challenges you will encounter is generating sales-qualified leads. There is a difference between general leads and qualified leads. A qualified lead is one that the marketing team identified and determined that they fit the profile of an individual or business ready to buy your product or service.
Some fixes to this potential issue include using lead scoring software on leads before contact, defining scoring criteria, and coming up with the perfect buyer persona. When you know the details of the ideal buyer, it will be much easier to find those leads.
Another issue you may encounter is keeping someone’s attention during a cold call and converting the sale. One thing that turns most people off during a cold call is overly aggressive sales tactics. Remember that it is unlikely that you will get a call during the first contact, so dial back your sales method. Instead, focus on selling the company’s merits, your values, and why it is a great business to work with.
Which B2B Sales Prospecting Techniques Are Most Effective?
There are many different B2B sales prospecting techniques that can work for you. You will need to try a few and see which offers the highest success rate in your business sector.
Cold calling is one of the most common ways to find leads. Although you do not already have a personal relationship with the person you are calling, it is a direct way to determine whether or not someone may be interested in your products and services.
Once you already have active, happy customers, referrals can be a good chunk of your new client base. Most people look for referrals for the products and services they use. This is not just limited to people they know. Searching on search engines, specialized websites, and social media is also a form of using referrals to determine what to buy, who to work with, or even just choosing the perfect restaurant for dinner tonight.
A more contemporary method is email marketing. To step up your email marketing game, create video email messages for your subscribers.
Creating a video message can turn a boring sales email into an engaging or entertaining one. This can also help you create and solidify relationships with people on your list.
What Tech Best Helps B2B Sales Prospecting?
Tech makes all areas of our life easier, and this is especially true when you are looking for the best B2B sales prospecting techniques. By utilizing good technology, you can streamline the process, be more productive, and easily track and manage your prospecting work.
The best piece of tech to use for prospecting is OneMob. OneMob allows you to build and nurture relationships with your customer through video content. It is easy to use, and you will be making video content in no time to improve your overall sales.
Besides creating videos, this software can also help you track your progress. Remember, with tracking, you will know what works well and what areas to improve.
Video prospecting uses short videos instead of contextual content to engage with your customers. This can allow you to personalize your contact further or present engaging, entertaining, and eye-catching messages and advertisements.
Video prospecting can be used for your current advertising, marketing, and prospecting activities. Some examples include cold outreach messages, newsletter content, reconnecting with a past prospect, and highlighting a specific product or service.
OneMob can bring this all together for you. Previous customers rave about this service, especially the ability to connect better to prospective customers.
How To Identify Potential Target Companies For Prospecting
Now that you understand more about how to prospect and B2B sales prospecting techniques, you may wonder where you find the right prospects to contact. There are many different techniques to use here as well. The best way to succeed is to use several different methods to identify prospects.
The first thing you should do is look at your current customer base. You can learn who your customers are and build a customer persona through constant contact through newsletters, surveys, and other data points. This persona will allow you to pinpoint the types of companies that are most likely willing and eager to work with you.
Although creating a persona of the right businesses to contact is an excellent idea, you can do more. Next, you should research your competition. If you have close competitors that target a different audience than you, find out why. Competitor research can give you an edge by combining the types of customers you currently have with a whole new subset of the market.
Use common marketing practices as well. This includes cold calling, sending emails, and buying ads. Although there are newer ways to reach customers, such as video marketing and social media, that does not mean you should abandon tried and proven methods completely. The key is to combine the old with the new to create the perfect prospecting plan.
How to Craft a Value Proposition For B2B Sales Prospecting
A value proposition (VP) is a simple message between a seller and a buyer on what the customer will obtain by purchasing a product or service from the seller. This message will not only tell what the product or service does but also address how this purchase will help the client solve a specific business problem.
When looking for B2B sales prospecting techniques and tips, understanding the value proposition is an important use of your time. There are many benefits to using a value proposition, such as:
- It can help with conversions. Solving a problem can be your product’s final benefit, which convinces businesses to buy now.
- Creates unity in marketing and sales. Creating this VP will get everyone in your company on the same page regarding where to focus your efforts and the best selling points.
- A competitive advantage. Companies with a VP can be more desirable than ones without a strong VP.
- Marketing made easy. When you already have a value proposition, you have a place to focus your marketing efforts.
Now that you understand the benefits, it is time to make a VP of your own. Start by defining the problem your product will solve. Consider your potential customer base and how this solution could impact them. Make sure your VP is better than your competitors. If similar, try to strengthen and clarify your message, so it stands out. Draft the message, share it with your team, and get started with your marketing efforts.
How to Follow-Up with Potential Sales Prospects
One of the B2B sales prospecting techniques that should be utilized more often is following up after your initial contact (or subsequent contacts) with potential clients. You can accomplish a professional and polite follow-up in many different ways. Here are a few different techniques to try.
Send a thank you note. Thank you notes are an easy way to thank someone for their time and keep your company on their mind. Make sure to include contact details in the card so they can reach out with questions or to set another appointment.
Ask for a referral. Use your connections in the industry with people you know of the company or loosely related to them to get a referral. Referrals will help you get appointments and sales much more quickly.
Send an email. Emails are quick and efficient. Remember, when selling to businesses, their time is just as important as yours, so you will want to choose a method of communication that acknowledges that. Emails are perfect. You can send a quick email to thank them for their time and remind them you are there for any questions they may have. You could even send a video message to make communication more efficient while taking steps to build a personal relationship with the receiver.
How LinkedIn Can Help B2B Sales Prospecting
Many think LinkedIn is only good for looking for a new job or side hustle. However, the truth is it is excellent for many purposes, such as networking, marketing, and finding prospects. You should follow many different B2B sales prospecting techniques, and implementing a LinkedIn plan is one of them.
Create a LinkedIn profile if you do not already have one. The first thing you will want to do is add all of your customers to your network. This will allow you to easily keep in contact with them. However, there is another benefit. You will have a list of satisfied customers at your fingertips to ask for referrals from.
Join LinkedIn groups. Groups are a great way to network and find prospects. By staying active in these groups, you will be about to answer questions and help other people and businesses, which will show your expertise. More people will want to work with your company and you if you are seen as an expert.
Use LinkedIn Pulse. LinkedIn Pulse will allow you to create and publish content with everyone in your network. Creating well-written content will further your professional reputation and enable you to connect with an audience as soon as you hit publish.
Some Mistakes to Avoid During B2B Prospecting
Although there are many things, you can do to help find new prospects. It is a great idea to learn different B2B sales prospecting techniques. However, understanding which mistakes to avoid along the way is just as important.
One of the biggest mistakes people make is not automating as much as possible. You can automate many processes, which will save you time, allowing you to focus your effort on other areas. Did you know that 66% of a sales rep’s time is spent on repetitive tasks? Think about what you could accomplish with another 20 – 30 hours a week.
Another common issue is focusing on the product instead of the benefits. The product is what someone is buying, but the benefits it provides or the problem it solves is where your focus should lie. The reason is that, ultimately, this is why businesses are buying your product and what it can do for them. Focus all your sales efforts on what the product can do for them.
Finally, a significant problem many people have with prospecting is being overly complicated in their approach. Simple is always best. A simple approach will attract more people. People have a small attention span; when you or your efforts are overly complicated, you will have a low conversion rate.
Final Thoughts
This guide has taught you many different B2B sales prospecting techniques to use for success. One of the first things you should consider is using tech to make your life easier. A service like OneMob can help you quickly and efficiently create excellent video content. This enables you to stand out in the crowd during your prospecting activities.
There are many valid techniques that you can use for prospecting. These techniques include cold calling, video content, email marketing, getting referrals, and creating a VP.
Of course, there are some pitfalls to avoid as well. This would include being overly complicated, not following up with prospects after meeting with them, not automating your process as much as possible, and focusing on the product or service instead of the benefits it provides.
