Still talking AT your buyers?
There’s no better way of alienating customers than by telling them what they need. This approach may have worked back in the day when companies were the only authority on products or solutions to problems. The Internet has changed all that. Now, before launching sales messages into the market, companies must now put effort into defining buyer personas.
Buyers are now well-versed on products and their features. They research competing products. They read reviews. They can order online. In this info-rich and highly competitive environment, how can B2B sales teams even be heard by buyers?
Build relevant customer relationships. Build sales success.
Talking AT your buyers is out-of-date. The trend is to nurture relationships with buyers by engaging and talking WITH them. The key to shifting from a sales-focused business to a buyer-centric sales organisation, is to listen before you speak.
In real terms, the way to make your products appear relevant to your buyer is by promising an experience that will address their pain points and match their business drivers. You only get one shot at this. Buyers are under pressure to meet the needs of their organisation. Promising more than you can deliver is a quick way to getting negative reviews.
The relationship that should be nurtured is between the brand or company and the buyer, and not the more traditional one between the sales person and the buyer. Buyers work in real time and demand responses 24/7. If their relationship is with your company as an entity, they will be secure dealing with any expert along the sales chain. If their relationship is only with the sales person, they may get frustrated waiting for a response to their queries.
This is just one of the 5 Top Sales Trends, but it is a great place to start. Once you know exactly WHO you are talking to, you can work on your brand storytelling.
The power of the buyer persona
A buyer-centric company will tailor their messaging to satisfy the needs of specific their buyers. This is best accomplished with a clear idea of exactly who the messaging is aimed at. To understand your buyer better, create a persona of the buyer. This is a chart that consolidates everything your team knows about the buyer. It includes criteria like their industry; size of company; job title; responsibilities; challenges; preferred ways of interaction; highest priorities etc.
B2B companies who don’t take the time to define their buyer personas run the risk of investing in marketing messaging that buyers will ignore or discard because it is meaningless to them.
How to create your own buyer personas
By understanding the pain points and business drivers of your buyers, your marketing messaging and sales conversations can present your offer as the ideal solution to their challenges. If they win, you win.