According to a 2017 survey, 51% of B2B buyers say marketing and sales communications have improved over the past few years. Has yours? Your messaging is probably based on what you consider your B2B buyers want to hear, but do you really know what your B2B buyers consider important? If research from McKinsey & Company is any indication, there’s likely a gap between what you’re saying on the phone and what your customers want to hear.
McKinsey’s survey of over 1,400 global executive leaders revealed that the themes B2B vendors conveyed the most, such as sustainability and global reach, have a minimal impact on buyers. Surprisingly, the messages that were most important to respondents, such as transparency and specialist expertise, were the ones least emphasized by vendors.
Source: 2012 McKinsey B2B Branding Survey
These findings help explain why a , revealed that only 14% of the value propositions salespeople present are relevant enough to get customers to take action. In other words, you’re not alone if your sales pitch isn’t getting through. The real question, then, is what are you doing to improve your ? Here are some tips to keep in mind before you pick up the phone and call your next target
Do Your Homework
The number one reason for a bad sales pitch? Lack of preparation. If you don’t know anything about the prospects you are pitching to, about their organization and the critical business issues they face, you won’t be able to properly convey how your solution fits into the equation. Doing your homework beforehand will also show the prospect that you care about solving their critical business issues, and that you’re not just through a list of contacts or sending out a mass email hoping to get a bite. And if you’re targeting high-level decision-makers, you likely aren’t the only one trying to get through; knowing more about them, their organizations, and their critical business issues can give you an “in,” the gravitas to help set you apart from other less-prepared callers.
Talk More, Sale Less
Forget Always Be Closing; the new ABCs of sales is Always Be Conversing. Today’s B2B buyers are about connections, not solicitations. They don’t fall for the same tired old sales pitches. Access to information has emboldened buyers with a new level of purchasing control, so the salespeople who succeed are the ones who take the time to talk through the prospects’ challenges and what they are looking to accomplish. That’s why 95 percent of top-performing salespeople claim their sales style is “information-oriented” rather than “transaction-based.” If you want to improve you sales pitch, stop thinking in terms of “pitches” altogether and focus on having better conversations with prospects that include thorough questioning and lead them to the obvious conclusion: your solution is a viable fit.
Present the Most Compelling Value Proposition
According to Murray Goodman, CEO of Intelemark, there needs to be a compelling reason for the prospect to act: “If that’s not present, you’re not going to be successful.” Experienced B2B telemarketers are successful because they help prospects understand how a solution solves their most critical business issues. If you’re unable to present the value proposition, or if prospects are unimpressed after hearing about your solution, you need to rethink the compelling nature of your messaging, or you have the wrong prospects.
Test, Improve, Repeat
You’ll know if your pitch needs to be improved—the market will tell you. At Intelemark, when we get feedback from our agents that people are unimpressed or that they can’t get through the value proposition, we share that information with the client in order to hone the message. Our agents are on the frontlines and provide valuable feedback that helps our clients refine the compelling reason someone wants to talk to them.
If you want to improve your messaging and make contact with high-level decision makers who have the power and influence to drive serious revenue for your business, schedule a test campaign and see what an outsourced B2B calling campaign can do for your business.