5 Strategies for Overcoming B2B Sales Challenges and Achieving Success

In a previous article, I discussed the transformation of the buyer’s journey and how traditional sales funnels, which used to depict a linear journey from awareness to conversion, no longer fully capture the complexity of the modern buyer's path.?

To avoid retreading old ground, I will just sum up by saying: It's no longer enough to rely on outdated, one-size-fits-all sales strategies that once yielded quick wins. In the past, organizations could afford to take a reactive approach, often closing deals with minimal buyer research and engagement. But the modern sales experience requires a more strategic, multi-touch approach, driven by deeper insights and more personalized engagement. Today’s B2B buyers are better informed, more discerning, and expect tailored solutions that address their unique challenges—it's imperative that sales strategies evolve to meet these new demands.

Make no mistake, B2B sales is much harder today than it was even just a few years ago. A key challenge facing modern B2B sales is the rising number of stakeholders involved in the buying process. According to the recent State of Virtual Selling report, 40% of sales professionals have seen a growth in the number of key stakeholders (more buyers) involved in the decisionmaking process. This change extends sales cycles and increases the number of ‘touches’ required to close deals. Nearly a quarter of salespeople now deal with five or more stakeholders, while over half encounter two to four.

This shift complicates the sales process, with 42% of sales professionals reporting difficulties connecting with prospects. As a result, sales cycles have lengthened, with 80% of salespeople indicating that their processes now extend beyond a month. The timeline can stretch from four to 18 months or even longer. This complexity necessitates a higher number of touchpoints before closing a sale.

Complicating matters even further, modern B2B buyers conduct extensive research independently before considering vendor engagement. They use websites, LinkedIn profiles and business pages, product demos on YouTube,? user reviews on platforms like G2 Crowd, and free trials. This shift has reduced the early influence of salespeople and highlighted the importance of websites, social media, and peer recommendations.?

In this context, the traditional sales strategies, which heavily relied on early sales interactions, are becoming less effective. Buyers now engage in thorough research and seek validation through external sources before making contact with vendors.

Given these changes, it’s clear that sales and marketing strategies must adapt to support buyers through more intricate and extended decision-making processes. This calls for a new level of adaptability and open-mindedness in our approach to sales and marketing.

Challenges B2B Businesses Face with SEO and Lead Generation

Changing customer behavior isn't the only challenge businesses face today. Alongside these shifts, businesses are grappling with significant difficulties related to SEO and lead generation. I have had frequent conversations with my clients, and they often complain about the following:

1. The impact of Google's algorithm updates on organic search rankings and traffic. Many businesses are experiencing a significant decline in their rankings and overall website traffic. These updates have dramatically increased the difficulty of maintaining high positions in search results, reflecting the growing complexity of buyer search behavior, and requiring more advanced SEO strategies and greater adaptability to shifting search trends.
2. Difficulty in targeting and generating high-quality leads. Evolving buyer preferences and behaviors have created obstacles in effectively targeting and generating high-quality leads. This shift has made it increasingly difficult for businesses to pinpoint and attract leads that are both high-quality and highly interested, requiring more nuanced and tailored lead generation approaches.
3. Optimization challenges are a persistent issue for businesses. Despite significant efforts to enhance website visibility and boost lead generation, many companies struggle to achieve their desired results due to poor storytelling. The need to stay ahead of competitors and adapt to new digital marketing trends makes continuous optimization efforts not just important but crucial.

Given these issues, it is clear that B2B organizations must innovate their sales and marketing strategies to keep pace with modern buyer expectations and behaviors.

One promising approach to addressing these challenges is adopting a StoryBrand framework. This methodology, with its focus on resolving customer problems rather than merely showcasing organizational capabilities, holds great potential. By framing marketing efforts around the customer's needs and experiences, businesses can better connect with their target audience and create more compelling and relevant engagement strategies. This shift in focus not only helps in overcoming the difficulties associated with SEO and lead generation but also aligns sales and marketing efforts with the evolving landscape of buyer behavior.

Practical Tips to Improve Your Marketing Approach

There are several other strategies for helping businesses overcome the challenges of today’s complex digital landscape. Here are some practical tips I have compiled to help you.

#1 Set goals

Start by figuring out where your business stands and what you want to achieve. Are you looking to drive more traffic to your website, get better leads, or increase online sales? Set specific goals that are clear and measurable. For example, instead of saying you want “more traffic,” aim to “increase website traffic by 20% in the next six months.” This specific target not only provides direction but also helps you track progress. It allows you to assess whether your strategies are working and make adjustments as needed to stay on track.

#2 Analyze your website’s performance

To understand how your website is performing, use tools like Google Search Console and SEMrush to evaluate key metrics. Look into your site’s search engine visibility, keyword rankings, and organic traffic to gauge how well your site attracts and engages visitors. Research relevant keywords to understand what your audience is searching for and how you can optimize your content to meet their needs. Compare your performance with that of competitors to identify areas where you can improve. Understanding your audience’s demographics and online behavior will provide insights into their preferences and pain points. Finally, create a detailed report based on this analysis to highlight strengths, pinpoint weaknesses, and identify gaps that need to be addressed.

#3 Develop a strategy

Once you have completed this, create a plan based on this analysis. There are certain things you need to focus on:

• Prioritize developing content that is valuable and engaging for your audience. It should address their specific problems and offer practical solutions. Quality content not only attracts visitors but also encourages them to interact with your site and return for more.
• Your website is your number one online employee. Make sure it’s easy to navigate, loads quickly, and is mobile-friendly. A compelling story and smooth user experience helps keep visitors on your site longer and improve their overall satisfaction, which can lead to higher engagement and conversion rates.
• Fix any technical issues on your site, such as broken links, slow load times, and poor mobile usability. Effective technical SEO helps search engines index your site properly and provides a better experience for users, leading to improved search rankings and user retention.

#4 Create a content strategy

Review your existing content to assess what’s effective and what needs improvement. Identify content gaps and plan to create new material that addresses these gaps. As already mentioned, the focus should be on producing high-quality content types such as blog posts, eBooks, and infographics that not only support your main service pages but also improve your site’s authority and credibility. A well-developed content strategy ensures your content remains relevant and valuable to your audience.

#5 Review and measure

Regularly monitor the performance of your strategies using tools like Google Analytics and HubSpot. Track key metrics such as keyword rankings, organic traffic, and conversion rates to evaluate the effectiveness of your efforts. Analyzing user behavior and traffic sources helps you understand what’s working and where adjustments are needed. Continuously reviewing and refining your approach ensures that you stay current with new trends and improve your overall results.

By following these steps, you can effectively address the challenges of digital marketing and work towards achieving your business goals.

Finding B2B Sales Success with Rutkin Marketing

So, while B2B selling has certainly got harder, my wish is that these strategies offer you hope and a path forward. By embracing a systematic approach to goal setting, performance analysis, strategy development, content creation, and ongoing review, B2B businesses can effectively address current challenges and position themselves for continued success.

If you're a business owner, CEO, or founder looking to optimize your marketing efforts and achieve a strong return on investment, Rutkin Marketing, with our extensive expertise, is here to help. We offer integrated services, including lead generation, content marketing, SEO, web development, and much more. Our team is ready to help you tackle these challenges and achieve your business goals. Schedule a free 30-minute assessment to get started.