Beginner or expert in the field of B2B prospecting, anyone can make mistakes as long as you know in advance what to avoid. Very lucrative if the right methods are adopted, B2B prospecting is also known to be a more complex discipline because it involves several decision-makers.
In this article, we will tell you the missteps not to make in your prospecting process in order to optimize your lead generation techniques, expand your customer base and thus, boost your turnover.
1 – Always put forward your offer instead of studying your prospects
Researching your prospects is a crucial step in prospecting. The goal is not to impose any authority on your audience. The mechanism must be a win-win partnership.
In other words, when you have more information about your targets (their identity, their problems and interests,…) you can show them empathy and then offer them relevant solutions so that they solve their problem. They will be more inclined to choose your services.
2 – Do not define or update your buyer personas
Without knowing your typical buyer profile, your prospecting will lead to nothing. Let’s take an example, your services are intended especially for companies operating in the construction industry with a rather high income. What is the point of prospecting to textile companies whose income will not allow them to access your services? It will only be a waste of time and resources.
Also, the buying behavior of prospects evolves gradually. Therefore, it is not enough to be satisfied with a buyer persona profile established already 5 years ago, for example. Remember that the visions and needs of your potential buyers change over the years.
3 – Deploy cold phone calls
Cold calling consists of calling people who have not shown any interest in the services of a company. A cold calling is less effective in prospecting and is very little appreciated by prospects. Put yourself in their shoes! Who likes to be bothered only to hear about the selling points for a solution you may not need? We’ll let you answer that.
4 – Bet on only one and the same prospecting channel
Some companies are used to prospecting only on the same channel. But the mistake is to rely on a single channel, because with the evolution of digital, your potential customers are everywhere on the web. To ensure the success of your prospecting, always bet on multichannel (emailing, social networks …). Astuteness! LinkedIn and Twitter are the most successful social platforms for B2B prospecting. Facebook can also be used, but certain rules must be well followed.
5 – Approach only top managers
In B2B, sales teams tend to deploy an approach only to the top decision-makers. But the fact is that decision-making is made by several people (4 to 5 on average) within a company. Anyone likely to be involved in the purchase decision must then be approached, in addition to the top manager.
6 – Fail to customize your content according to the needs of your leads
Personalized content is essential to stand out from your competition and especially to meet the needs of your prospects. Be aware that B2B buyers can be very demanding. They often look for the most perfect and tailor-made solution, which is adapted to their problems.
Avoid at all costs to offer the same lambda content, intended for all your prospects. Customize each proposal according to the characteristics and needs of each lead. Prospecting en masse or blindly will certainly not benefit you.
7 – Not choosing the right time to contact and follow up with leads
Tell yourself that your leads themselves have occupations and issues to master. Buying your solution may not be a priority activity on their to-do list.
Thus, your approach must be established at the right time so as not to rush them into their purchase decision at the risk of jeopardizing all your previous efforts and thus reducing your chances of closing a sale with them.
The relaunch is an important step (80% of sales are concluded only from the 6th contact). So, be meticulous and organized to succeed.
8 – Trying to close a deal too hastily
Rushing your lead to buy your solution is not a good idea. You have to take the time to give them value so that they feel confident in your brand. Certainly, the main objective of prospecting is to generate leads and then sell to them, but building a relationship is also essential.
Sometimes, sales teams forget this detail with really significant impacts. It is better to establish a lasting relationship with your potential customers rather than a relationship quickly forgotten.
9 – Abandoning acquired customers
Customers who have already acquired are the perfect ambassadors for your brand. Under no circumstances should you take them for granted and no longer take care of the relationship already established. Moreover, it is wise to include them in your prospecting efforts using references.
Prospects are more convinced by recommendations from satisfied customers rather than long speeches from your sales team. Think about that.
10 – Do not use a CRM
A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is really useful for B2B prospecting. Simply make sure to integrate all your leads into the tool to have a perfect control of the actions to be done. To do this, use quality data.
In addition to adapting the right techniques, to succeed in B2B prospecting, you really have to avoid making these mistakes. The more you respect the rules, the more successful you will be in developing your business.
