World Class Sales Skills Are Not Enough

In B2B sales, the writing is on the wall. World-class sales skills are critical, but just not enough to guarantee your success. Find out the top 7 tips to get ahead. Discover what it really takes to engage busy clients in a real-time conversation. More and more sales professionals are realizing that pitching is dead. And even if the skills are still taught in your organization’s training room, things change with clients. Use these 7 tips to master the moves you need in a constantly changing marketplace. Tip 1. Learning Is Constantr You must stay at the cutting edge of new ways to connect with clients and prospects. Even if you were top of your team last week, there are new skills and tools to master today. While it isn’t the most fun to realize that an “A+” must be earned, it is a constant and never ending process. The sooner you make friends with continuous improvement, the better. Tip 2. Content Is Kingr Strangely, sales teams still go out in the field without powerful content. In truth, if you are in front of clients and prospects without valuable information, you better have an on-the-spot plan. Many sales organizations seem to drop the ball here. It’s as if they hope and wish that sales professionals would also be copywriters, graphic designers and strategists. Instead of relying on a fantasy, prepare your sales team with powerful resources. According to a recent report by Sherpa Marketing only 38% of B2B companies have content adapted to match the buying cycle of their clients. This spells a huge opportunity. When your materials are tightly matched with the questions, considerations and needs of your clients and prospects…you’ll come out ahead. Tip 3. Conversation Is Queenr Pitching is dead. Get it. Embrace it. Know it. If you’re talking at instead of talking with…well, your sales will flat line. Now, ‘fess up. Have you been guilty of not respecting the Queen? If you’ve forgotten how to have a conversation, start practicing with this tip. Conversation Tip: Ask questions. Listen to answers. Yes, it seems overly simplistic. But don’t you know a few enthusiastic sales folks who could benefit from this simple technique? Tip 4. Variety Is Enticingr While you’re supporting the buying process, what can you do? Add variety. Spice up your interactions with a diverse array of materials. Send colorful videos. Show powerful and fun presentations. Provide checklists, cheat sheets and fact sheets that help your clients with real-world problems. The more you provide information in a variety of means, the more interesting your offer becomes. Not everything has to be a whitepaper or brochure. Include your creative and marketing folks to come up with powerful materials that forward the sale. Tip 5. Credibility Is Essential No matter what you offer, your credibility is critical. That’s why it’s very important to watch your words, actions and wardrobe. Speak professionally in front of clients—and every time you are in public. Move with poise and respect without being overly stiff. Finally, dress the part. Even if everyone else is in flip-flops…be professional. Tip 6. Visuals Trump Wordsr According to academic and industry research, the human brain is built for visual input. Information show in pictures and words is 70% more memorable than words alone. Not to disrespect words…but couldn’t you use that boost in creating memorable interactions with your clients? Tip 7. Whiteboard Presentations Win Results Combine all these tips together and you’ll see that the writing truly is on the wall…or on the whiteboard. More and more sales teams, trainers and leaders are heading to the whiteboard to simplify complex concepts. Why? They know that their audiences are inundated with data, and often overloaded with information. They know that to capture attention and ignite collaboration, they need to use collaborative tools. Rather than waiting for a new technology, many professionals prefer to use ‘old-fashioned’ tools. A classic dry erase board or whiteboard is available in just about every conference room or meeting facility. They are already accessible—although sometimes covered with dust. By using tools that are commonplace, the presenter sends a message. “It’s possible to do more with less…starting right now.” This is a ‘roll-up-your-sleeves’ attitude that shows clients you aren’t trying to push for more money, more technology or more fluff. You’re focused on winning results for your clients right here, right now. If you want to have deep conversations and inspire smart decision-making, head to the whiteboard. Interested in whiteboard presenting? You’ll get more done in less time than you may ever imagine.