13 tips for selling B2B services

It seems to me that I can share my experience of scaling the sales of a company that has been growing at a rate of over 100% y/y for 4 years and currently employs almost 150 people. Remember, however, that my experience is not only the sale of services and processes. Software development is one of the stages, preceded by an analysis of the client's business needs and translating them into the IT language. That's why I prefer to call it digital advisory.

1. Prepare for EVERY meeting. Check your prospectus before calling or chatting. Visit their social media profiles, a LinkedIn profile of the person you are meeting with, read about them in the press (if it’s a founder and they have any publications). See the company’s offer and price list. Nothing can surprise you at the meeting. On the contrary, you will surprise the prospect with your knowledge of their business.?
2. Create stories that sell value. But it's hard to sell if you can't cover that value with some story, some data that will keep you prepared before the meeting. In my career, I don't even want to count the leads I burned with the "go in and sell" approach without proper research before the meeting.
3. Listen, think, talk - just in that order. Salespeople often focus on themselves and what they offer, not listening to the customer at all. When I started, I usually started meetings with company presentations. A mistake, it was enough to talk to the client about his problems. Suddenly, the 15-minute intro meetings turned into 2-hour chats.
4. Stick to the defined framework of contact with customers. If you are a salesman and you piss people off at cold calls, then, of course, it should be avoided! But if you simply contact after the sales openings and you very clearly stick to a certain framework, this is the right move.?
5. Keep informed about the next steps. People in the sales process like to be held by the hand. When they know what the next steps are, what value the next step gives, and that they have a salesperson as a kind of tutor throughout the process.?
6. Regularly initiate further contacts with the client. In my experience, being pushy isn't bad at all. It forces the client to make a decision. Either you lead you in and waste no more time, or you actually prove your worth to the customer. Win-win for both sides.
7. Diversify the ways, places and forms of contact with the client. Calls, meetings, workshops, webinars, talk in podcast - every opportunity is good to ask if everything is OK and help the client promote his brand. Good example: mail > phone call > LinkedIn Message > Google ads > mail > phone call > LinkedIn Message, etc.
8. Clarify details as many times as necessary. It is a necessary cost, even if your jaw is creaking from talking. Whenever you sell intangibles, you need to build customer trust. Remember that over time he will ask you questions that he hears from people unfamiliar with the subject, but he will find it worth asking.
9. Practice clearly presenting the benefits that the client will have as a result of the implementation. It is best to develop a version for 30 seconds (elevator speech), ending with a question whether to go into detail. Most won't, but be prepared for a 3-minute monologue on the details.
10. Remind the benefits by discussing the relevant steps in the processes. The benefit perspective needs to be constantly refreshed, because the software development process can take a very long time, so the vision of the effect may fade over time.
11. Be a guide in the digital jungle. You don't have to prove you're the smartest. Try to be helpful. If the customer did not believe in your competence, he would not buy anything from you. Now he needs you to make sure that he invests his money well, and thanks to the work of your development team, he will earn much more in the future.
12. Do not fake anything. Be as transparent as possible. It is our rule at Applover, even when times are tough — communicate as transparently as you can. Moreover, make sure you provide as much information and support as possible.
13. Exchange experiences at every opportunity. Everyone has their own ways, tricks, processes that can work best for them. Of course, it is worth gaining different perspectives and feedback from others, but let’s not close ourselves to one specific way to do it.?

I took the above good advice from my own experience. Do you find them useful? You're welcome! Get ready for more practical advice.

And if you want to explore the ins and outs of selling digital advisory services and growing your business, you know where to find me.

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