The goal of B2B sales prospecting is to find new customers. It has therefore been necessary to develop several techniques over the years. However, each available technique corresponds to a context . You will therefore not be able to use it wrongly, at the risk of not convincing your target. In order to optimize your results, you will need to create an upstream prospecting plan This must take into account the objectives of your company.
B2B prospecting: a focus on businesses
The term “B2B” or “B to B” corresponds to the English expression “business to business” . It refers to all exchanges and commercial activities between companies . Although the general public is not yet very familiar with this expression, B2B customers often represent a significant part of a company's customer portfolio. B2B is opposed to B2C (“business to consumer”) , which refers to exchanges with individuals . Given the diametrically opposed characteristics of these two clients, it is therefore not possible to use the same approaches.
The prerequisites of the B2B prospecting plan
Define your goals
To verify the relevance of your objectives, they must respect the five SMART :
- Specific/simple : which is precise and corresponds to your strategic area of activity;
- Measurable : whose performance you can measure;
- Ambitious : which gives rise to a certain challenge;
- Achievable : which is not utopian;
- Temporal : with a deadline to respect.
Example: “Become the leader in laptop sales in the Indian Ocean region by 2025”.
Segment and define the target
Segmentation consists of identifying the criteria that will be used to choose your final target. In the B2B context, this could be the size of the company, its catchment area, its capital, its legal status, etc. You can, for example, prioritize the most profitable segment and establish specific commercial actions or, why not, establish a scoring of the different segments in order to analyze your return on investment.
Prospecting techniques to use in B2B
If individuals are more inclined to buy a product for fun reasons, companies (B2B customers) will determine their new business partner logically . Indeed, professionals must allocate a substantial budget for each of their projects. Thus, they will favor companies which will offer them the best quality-price ratio, with which it will be possible to establish lasting exchanges .
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More detailed sales materials
On the B2C side, promotion is mainly done on TV and on social networks. As the quantity of products is substantial, promoters must therefore opt for succinct content, which plays more on emotions than on reason. Taglines, such as “The first smartphone with 6 photo sensors for 250 euros”, can be enough to create the desire to purchase among a general consumer. A company, on the other hand, will check if the 6 photo sensors in question are really useful and if the other specifications correspond to their uses.
You will then need to provide as much information as possible about your products, such as the typical user profile, instructions for use, durability and ancillary services. For this, you can use brochures , but also well-stocked catalogs .
The use of digital marketing
Here again, this is a technique also used in B2C. However, it is the approach that will be different. Instead of only displaying advertising banners on virtual platforms, the B2B client will be entitled to these specialized emails (e-mailings and newsletters) . These messages should not only contain long text. It will be essential to combine attractive visuals to maximize the impact. Calls -to-actions (links to click on) will also be welcome, because they will provide direct access to your offer, for example.
Phone calls
Since emails are sometimes ignored by recipients, don't hesitate to follow up with your prospects via a call . To do this, do not forget to introduce yourself and remind us which offer you are calling for. The objective here is not to rush the potential customer. Instead, you'll need to show that you value their needs above all else. Once the company representative understands this, you will have the opportunity to convince him that he has every interest in consuming your product or service.
Physical meetings
This is the coup de grace that you strike during B2B prospecting. However, the request must come from the customer. Always keep in mind that you should not rush him! Indeed, if you insist on meeting him early in order to present a product that he has never seen, you will be seen as an intrusive and important negotiator.
On the other hand, if your counterpart takes the trouble to make an appointment with you to discuss your services, it is because he is very interested. He probably wants to know more about the offers and start negotiating . In this case, you should not hesitate to take samples of your product, if possible. Show precisely how it should be used and the concrete advantages!
Ultimately, as the approaches to adopt in B2B are specific, it will be essential to form a team dedicated solely to this activity . The members of this group must indeed have very in-depth knowledge of the offer to be promoted. This will reinforce the seriousness of your company to the prospect. Also don't forget to retain the prospect , once you have transformed them into a customer. Eh yes ! It would be a shame not to establish a lasting relationship with him. A one-time purchase will not have a significant impact on your business. Regular training will help to strengthen your team, without forgetting evaluations.
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