B2b sales are just that: sales from one business entity to another. As a result, persuasive communication and strong negotiation skills are required. However, mastering b2b sales entails far more than simply selling. Because of the b2b lead sales strategies’ complex scope and scale, salespeople must gain a thorough understanding of a prospect’s needs to take on a consultative role.
Because people’s purchasing habits have shifted, now is the time to examine what distinguishes b2b selling and how technology is altering this mode of operation.
What exactly is B2B Sales?
Business-to-business sales is a sales strategy in which a business sells its products or services to another business. It differs from business-to-consumer sales.
B2B Sales Features
B2b sales frequently involve far more expensive products and services than business-to-consumer sales. They are typically complete after a lengthy and complex sales cycle. B2b selling has distinct characteristics, regardless of whether a company sells accounting software or heavy construction equipment.
#1. Larger average transactions
B2b sales can typically approach thousands, if not millions, of dollars. Larger volumes and more expensive items raise the cost, yet businesses are prepared to pay the price for the resources they require.
#2. Professional Decision-making
Because the items and services a firm obtains have a significant impact on its operations, procurement will be meticulous. Large corporations hire expert procurers who are in charge of the entire sales cycle. Because b2b buyers are experts, b2b sales personnel must also become specialists to respond to arguments and objections.
#3. More parties are involved
B2b sales are rarely handled by a single person. Instead, multiple stakeholders are part of the process in some way. Some will have sway, but others will have the last say and sign the contract. This means that sales representatives must utilize a variety of reasons to persuade people from varied perspectives.
#4. Longer Sales Cycles
Closing a b2b sale is typically a time-consuming process. A typical cycle can last many months with more stakeholders involved and strict business standards in place, including numerous rounds of phone calls and meetings.
#5. Fewer customers
Because b2b sales cycles are longer and more involved, the cost of obtaining a b2b customer is higher than in b2c sales. When opposed to the business-to-consumer segment, the overall addressable market in business-to-business sales is substantially narrower, with fewer prospective customers interested in purchasing a certain product. On the other hand, b2b customers typically have a significantly higher lifetime value.
How to Increase B2B Sales Leads: 15 Effective Strategies
There is no quick fix or “one-size-fits-all” method for generating B2B leads and sales.
I’ve learned that every sales environment is different, whether I’m selling law services to businesses, mobile apps to festival owners, or driving the revenue objective here at Leadfeeder.
Transitioning from one to the other compelled me to revise my approach to B2B lead generation.
#1. Make material that will create B2B sales leads a top priority.
I’ve heard this adage a thousand times, just like you. But, returning to my earlier point about tailoring B2B sales strategies to your audience, it all relies on who you’re providing content for.
Don’t develop high-level stuff haphazardly. If you want your content to enhance sales, start by confirming what your consumers are looking for.
Then, build your creations around that.
#2. Pick a bone to increase B2B lead generation.
Did you know that even with the smallest disparities, people are compelled to show devotion to the organizations with which they identify?
With this method, your favorite businesses increase sales by reinforcing a concept that pushes you away from the competition and pulls you over to their side.
In their MAC vs PC spat, for example, Apple pitted themselves against Mircosoft’s PC to demonstrate that the MAC is for “cool” creatives.
In contrast, the PC was positioned as the ancient technology of choice for corporate cubicle dwellers.
Using this strategy to enhance B2B sales leads does not require you to quarrel with or “cast shade” at competitors. Simply emphasize your product’s competitive advantages to set it distinct.
Use your advantages if you have superior customer service, more options, better prices, and so on.
#3. Increase the number of personal encounters you have with B2B leads.
When considering a purchase, B2B buyers spend the majority of their time (27%) researching. 77 percent consider their purchases to be “complicated or challenging.”
B2B sales cycles are longer and more involved. This can make it more difficult to get a “foot in the door” or shorten the time it takes to clinch a deal.
However, you may still shorten the road to purchase by searching out real discussions and engagements with leads on a regular basis.
If a prospect inquires about a feature, for example, don’t simply refer them to a knowledge base; instead, provide a 10-minute walkthrough.
Once you’ve completed the walkthrough, invite them to a meeting or schedule another call.
If they have a technical query, connect them with an internal support representative and follow up with them later.
That is why it is vital to becoming closer to your leads with each encounter; more intimate “touchpoints” develop trust, which means leads are more inclined to buy from you.
#4. Twitter may be used to customize B2B lead generation.
Personalizing your lead generation to your buyer is essential, whether you’re B2B, B2C, or DTC, especially when dealing with busy decision-makers.
However, how can you identify possibilities to tailor your approach and win B2B leads?
Use Twitter to learn more about your decision-makers personal lives.
Because most buyers wear their “professional hats” on LinkedIn, they are wary about being marketed.
This implies they’re also less likely to provide personal information that could aid in the establishment of a bond.
Their “guard” is lower on Twitter, which is regarded as a more social site rather than a professional one.
And, by using the platform to supplement your research, you’ll discover chances to personalize that you won’t find anywhere else.
#5. Use epic content campaigns to produce leads.
Snack Nation, an office snack supplier, struggled to boost B2B leads through SEO with less than 100 monthly searches for their target phrase.
They produced an epic post on “employee wellness”—a broader search term that their target customers use—in order to reach a larger audience than would include their potential B2B leads.
They took special care in creating the post to ensure that it was “epic” enough to generate leads. This included the following:
- Outdoing competitors with 121 ideas on “employee wellbeing.”
- A considerable number of inputs from different industry authorities were included.
- In addition, they are employing an active outreach strategy in order to encourage influencers to share their post.
This sent them to the top of Google for their term.
Despite the fact that it is almost three years old, this piece continues to generate a lot of traffic and leads for them to this day.
So, if you have the ability to develop content that surpasses your competitors, go for it.
#6. Create a list of high-quality B2B leads (instead of buying)
Purchasing a list of leads is akin to sending programmed emails with no personalization. You may think you’re saving time, but you’re actually wasting it.
Closing B2B leads necessitates the use of relevant information and a high level of personalization.
Purchased lists, however, do not supply either. They are out of date by the time you receive them, or they include very little enrichment information.
So, instead of purchasing a list of B2B leads, create your own.
#7. Make a free tool that will generate leads for you.
HubSpot provides a free CRM. Crazy Egg provides a Heatmap tool for free. Free SEO analytics reports are available from Ubersuggest.
One of the strongest lead generation strategies I’ve seen for SaaS and tech companies is a free tool.
Offering a free tool is beneficial for lead generation for the following reasons:
- It leads prospects to “test before they buy.”
- It also provides you with a compelling opt-in offer that draws high-quality leads into your sales funnel.
#8. Use Leadbots to boost B2B sales without increasing personnel.
With a Leadbot, Anymailfinder, a two-person SaaS firm, has already increased B2B leads and produced 60% more money.
Aside from lead generation, the Leadbot improved its onboarding process and reduced response time to an average of 3 minutes.
Regardless of how much information, FAQ sections, and knowledge bases you have, leads will not always find the answers they seek.
You may use a Leadbot to answer consumer questions, filter high-quality leads, and accelerate decision-making discussions without raising manpower.
#9. Prospects are scored in preparation for a “leaner” lead generation process.
Seventy-three percent of leads are not sales-ready.
Some require nurturing, while others must test your goods, and, of course, you will encounter your fair share of tire kickers.
So, if you want to get more high-quality B2B sales leads (without using up all of your resources), you’ll need to score leads.
This allows you to concentrate your efforts on the tiny number of leads that account for the majority of your revenue.
#10. Quora Q&As can be used to generate B2B leads.
Quora, as a social Q&A site, is an underutilized medium for B2B sales lead generation.
Writer Nicolas Cole, for example, developed a devoted following and a solid reputation on Quora by providing lengthy, and occasionally personal, responses to inquiries.
He was able to propel the growth of his 7-figure content business, Digital Press, in a few years thanks to his answers on Quora.
Find your buyers on Quora, answer their questions, and benefit by linking back to your material.
#11. More case studies should be published and promoted.
Before making a purchase, B2B buyers are exceedingly analytical, risk-averse, and frequently want the approval of numerous ROI-minded decision-makers.
As many buyers have admitted, case studies are critical sales enablement content for the middle to end stages of the lead generation process.
But don’t just leave case studies on your website. Promote them openly to boost your credibility.
#12. Find high-quality leads by utilizing new content channels.
You’re letting leads slide through your fingertips if you only create content for one channel. Increase the reach of your content to create more leads.
Do you need to start your own podcast or set up a studio for professionally edited YouTube videos?
No way.
You can simply adapt old material to a new platform. For example, you may turn a popular blog post into a YouTube tutorial. This is something Ahrefs has perfected.
Alternatively, you might pick an amazing case study and broadcast it on industry podcasts such as Nextiva.
#13. Using Keywords to attract leads, use laser-like concentration landing pages.
The landing page is one of the most pivotal, make-or-break points in the B2B lead generation process. The more powerful it is, the more sales you may anticipate.
While there is plenty of opportunity for experimenting and testing on your page, here are some easy wins that will bring you more leads:
- Using social proof to back up your copy.
- Increasing the specificity of your call-to-action (CTA) copy.
- Changing your headline to attract customer’s interest.
- In addition, include a Live Chat function on your page.
#14. Limit access to LinkedIn material to increase sign-ups.
Creating gated content on LinkedIn is an excellent way to increase the number of leads that subscribe to your email list.
Simply provide current material that your leads will find interesting and distribute it with your network in exchange for their email addresses.
Using this b2b sales strategy, Adam Goyette, VP of Marketing at G2, received over 200 likes and 700 comments demanding access to his work.
Isn’t that impressive for a single social media post?
#15. Direct mailing
Bizzible achieved $33,000 in new income with only one well-executed direct mail campaign that cost $800 to implement.
In a competitive sector, Ash Ambirge, a former Account Executive, received a 100 percent response rate from the B2B sales leads strategy with just a few well-targeted direct mail pieces.
Direct mail, when combined with customization, will set your lead generation campaigns apart from the competition and help you complete significant deals.
How can businesses effectively target their B2B sales efforts?
Businesses can effectively target their B2B sales efforts by identifying their ideal customer profile, understanding their customers’ needs and pain points, and using targeted marketing and sales tactics to reach them.
What role do sales reps play in B2B sales?
Sales reps play a critical role in B2B sales, as they are responsible for building relationships with customers, demonstrating the value of the business’s products or services, and closing sales.
How can businesses effectively train their B2B sales reps?
Businesses can effectively train their B2B sales reps by providing them with product and industry knowledge, teaching them effective sales techniques, and giving them opportunities to practice and receive feedback.
How can businesses measure the success of their B2B sales efforts?
Businesses can measure the success of their B2B sales efforts by tracking metrics such as the number of new customers acquired, the size of the average sale, and the customer retention rate.
What role does pricing play in B2B sales?
Pricing plays a critical role in B2B sales, as customers are often more price-sensitive and require more detailed pricing information than in B2C sales.
How can businesses effectively manage their B2B sales pipeline?
Businesses can effectively manage their B2B sales pipeline by using a CRM system to track leads and sales opportunities, regularly updating the sales forecast, and providing regular performance updates to sales reps and stakeholders.
Conclusion
You, like me, are dedicated to improving sales…
But, isn’t it simple to become entangled in the web of many lead generation strategies and tactics? You are frequently confronted with questions such as:
- What is the most effective B2B lead generation strategy?
- Will this strategy genuinely boost sales?
- What factors will produce the best results?
- What is my advice?
Just stop there.
Overthinking and over-optimizing your lead generation strategy will not provide results.
Instead, talk to your team, agree on a few strategies and approaches that everyone thinks would work, and then…get busy taking action.
You’ll rapidly figure out what works, toss away what doesn’t, and boost sales without worrying about missing opportunities.
B2B Sales FAQs
What does B2B mean in sales?
Business-to-business (B2B) is a transaction or business conducted between one business and another, such as a wholesaler and retailer. B2B transactions tend to happen in the supply chain, where one company will purchase raw materials from another to be used in the manufacturing process.
How is B2B sales done?
B2B sales is short for business-to-business sales. It refers to companies or salespeople who sell products and services directly to other businesses. This is parallel to business-to-consumer (B2C) sales, where products and services are sold directly to the consumer.
How do I get my first B2B sale?
How the B2B sales process works
- Step 1: Do your research. A good B2B salesperson has to know their market, their competitors, and who their ideal customers are. …
- Step 2: Find your customers. …
- Step 3: Conduct your initial outreach. …
- Step 4: Pitch to your leads. …
- Step 5: Follow up. …
- Step 6: Close the sale
How much do B2B sales reps make?
The average b2b sales representative makes $50,767 in the United States. The average hourly pay for a b2b sales representative is $24.41. The average entry-level b2b sales representative’s salary is $39,000.
