Today we see more and more technologies used in direct marketing that drive awareness and move prospective clients down the funnel in their journey to become high-quality leads.
Everything is measurable and structured to convert them into paying customers.
In a B2B sale cycle, when selling a sophisticated piece of equipment, there is this point where the deal depends on how well you build a successful connection with your prospect.
Can you build relationships that create emotions and trust with your buyer?
People like to be heard and to feel they are seen. If you show empathy, humanity, and vulnerability, most people will open up, and a constructive line of communication will be created.
Gong.io, a unicorn that made its meteoric success by analyzing salespeople’s calls, found that as a seller, the less you speak and the more you listen, the higher the chances of winning a deal.
Practice listening without preparing your next sentence or textbook answer. Don’t come with a firm agenda. Be flexible and attentive to your clients. Let the other side express whatever is on their mind. Engage with them.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you’ll need to make concessions later. And sure, there are many other factors that come into the equation.
When meeting your potential customers, come prepared by studying their profile, their background, and where they are positioned in their organization and in the decision-making matrix.
You should know where they are in the sales cycle and understand their WIFM (What’s in it for me?) notion, what they already know and what is important to them.
When you are knowledgeable and have the right skill set… When you show up as a human… When you are willing to really listen… you will cope with anything that may occur during your meeting.
This will drive the dynamic you seek and will probably lead to your desired goal to get you to the next level.
