Your salespeople play a fundamental role in the success of your B2B business. They are the ones who close deals and generate revenue. However, sales is not an innate skill. And even for those who excel, there are always areas where we can improve.
Whether you're already in sales and looking to improve, or you're new to the game and want to learn the ropes, here are 6 skills you need to work on.
What makes a good salesperson?
So, what does it take to be a good salesperson? Concretely, how can we understand the needs of a prospect and offer them a solution that is beneficial for both parties?
In the past, salespeople were known for being ruthless, working on a prospect until they reached their goal. However, this was not ideal for their reputation. Moreover, this is perhaps one of the reasons why telephone prospecting is no longer as effective as before. Technological advancement has also played a role, with people preferring text messages and rarely answering their phones.
Especially in B2B sales, you will face a longer sales cycle. As a result, you must be able to cultivate long-term relationships with prospects. Your success in managing these complex relationships requires a set of key skills .
A good B2B salesperson is able to network, advise and build relationships through positive relationship building. He knows how to determine the value of his product or service for each customer, by putting himself in their shoes and understanding their needs. He also excels at putting people at ease and establishing trust .
Deals are closed when the salesperson can make prospects feel respected and understood . Additionally, they must approach prospects who have an authentic need for the products or services they are selling.
1 – Searching for information on prospects and competitors
A salesperson's day is often spent researching and communicating with customers. Tools like Google and LinkedIn are popular, but working with a marketing agency is recommended for quality research. Also, careful preparation before approaching prospects strengthens the impact of your argument.
There are also powerful marketing and sales tools like those cited in this list which should help you gain efficiency on this first point.
If you don't know it yet, our Magileads can automate the entire marketing process so that you only spend time on prospects ready to be converted.
2 – Find new sales opportunities
The ability to find new opportunities is another vital skill. Whether you prefer networking, social selling, referral marketing or even telephone prospecting , the goal is to generate new leads and grow your business. In larger companies, you may have staff dedicated to lead generation. In smaller businesses, it may be your responsibility to find and qualify leads .
3 – Qualification of prospects
Fake leads are every B2B salesperson’s nightmare. Being good at sales isn't about turning every rejection into acceptance, but rather knowing who to sell to and when . You don't want your customers to regret doing business with you, so the deal should be mutually beneficial . Online lead generation and content marketing are great tools for qualifying leads in an automated or semi-automated way.
Otherwise, there is Magileads, which offers you a complete technological base allowing your teams to carry out acquisition and marketing campaigns. customer loyalty and partners simply and quickly.
4 – Time management
No matter how much the sales world evolves, one thing remains constant: time is money. Time management tools have evolved, offering a wide range of options, from synchronized calendars to task management solutions. Do not hesitate to exploit them. Automating tedious and time-consuming tasks has never been easier, and you should take advantage of it .
READ ALSO: 5 best practices in B2B commercial prospecting used by experts
5 – Presentation skills
Making good presentations is another important aspect of working in sales. If you don't like giving presentations and think you're not very good at it, the good news is that you can improve without memorizing every word on your slides or notes. That's not the main thing. If you want data to support your claims, you can include it in the slides, but you don't need to recite it.
What matters most is that your presentation isn't bland . This is what happens when you focus too much on facts and figures. People respond much better to stories . So, devote the first few minutes of your presentation to the issues your audience is facing. Then move on to how you can help them.
Your audience will be looking for social proof, so tell them about other businesses in their industry that have found success implementing the solution you're offering. It will also trigger our universal fear of missing out.
6 – Managing objections
If you work as a salesperson, especially in B2B sales, you can expect to face objections on a daily basis . Approached correctly, this can provide you with a valuable opportunity to ask more questions , learn more about your prospects' needs, and tailor your pitch accordingly . A poorly handled objection, on the other hand, can disrupt an otherwise positive conversation.
The most common types of objections you will encounter are:
- Skepticism: Your prospects are not sure that your solution is right for them.
- Indifference: Your prospects feel that they don't need what you have to offer.
By cultivating these key skills, you will not only be able to excel in sales, but also contribute significantly to the growth of your business.
Every Thursday at 6 p.m., we offer to answer all your questions about modern prospecting and show you how Magileads can radically transform your Marketing and Sales results.
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