We have arrived at the third stage of the B2B sales cycle. We have made a connection, qualified a lead, and now have to make contact with the prospect and try to move this lead to the next stage of the sales cycle. Often this is the point where we might lose an opportunity. T. Melissa Madian shared her expertise with us and gave us valuable tips to successfully create a real human connection and build lasting bonds with the customer. A hint: Don't pitch them.
How To Create A Real Human Connection With The Customer
1. Understand what is going on in the head of the customer
Very often, sales pitches are very focused on the seller, but the customer doesn't care about who we are or what we do. Customers care about themselves. If we want to engage them, we must adapt our storyline accordingly.
2. Be where they are
Being actively present in the same channels that prospective buyers are using to get information is critical.
3. Be authentic and provide value
If you make a new connection and immediately start sending sales pitches without offering any value, you will most probably lose your chance.
Whenever we interact with the customer, we should tell a story. Nobody likes sales pitches, but everyone loves good stories. Storytelling is critical in engaging the customer and providing value. But how do we tell a compelling story? How do we hook the customer?
First and foremost: don't start the story by talking about yourself. As we have already mentioned, the customer doesn't care about you; they care about themselves. If you want to engage the buyer, let them be the hero of your story. Tell them about their industry, their challenges, and their company. Tell them about how they can become better by leveraging your product or service.
Secondly, ask yourself about the purpose of that call or email and make sure that it is about them, not about yourself. This is what making the customer the hero of your story ultimately means. If your call's purpose is to keep the customer moving forward so that you can hit your quota at the end of the month, that call won't offer any value to the customer. Instead, try to think about what might be on their mind, what might be holding them back to make a decision, and try to answer their questions. Make the purpose of every call, email, or post to offer value to the customer. Make it about them, not about yourself. The rest will follow.
Following these golden rules in your interactions with the buyer will set you apart and help you close more deals.
- Don't pitch them.
- Make it about them, not about yourself
- Offer value at every stage of the journey by teaching them something new.
Finally, don't forget to guide the buyer through the sales process. Many sales reps assume that buyers know how to buy, but that is not necessarily the case. Most probably, the customer has many other things to do, and buying from you is not a priority. If you don't help them by telling them what to do next, you will be deprioritized and might even lose the opportunity.
Once you have closed the deal, your job is not over. The final piece is to hand the customer over to the team that takes care of the post-sales process effectively. Ensuring that the whole company collectively takes care of the buyer will create a great buying experience and build a strong bond between your company and your customers.
About T. Melissa Madian
T. Melissa Madian is the Founder and Chief Fabulous Officer at TMM Enablement Services Inc. She was one of the first people to pioneer the "sales enablement" role and has spent the past 25 years perfecting the sales experience for revenue-generating teams. She has successfully produced countless Sales Kick Offs, built world-class sales onboarding programs, and created training academies for many SaaS companies. She is one of LinkedIn's 15 Top Sales Influencers to Follow in 2020, one of the 20 Women Leaders to Watch in Business in 2018 and ranked 10th of the 35+ Most Influential Women Leading B2B Marketing Technology.
Melissa is a great Walt Disney fan. "If you can dream it, you can do it." This philosophy has always been an inspiration to her. If you want to connect with her, send her a message via LinkedIn or visit her website www.melissamadian.com.
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