8 Pitfalls to Avoid: Getting to the Bottom of Why Your B2B Sales Seem to Have Stalled Out

Hi there Sales Warriors!?

Ever felt like you were stuck in a rut with your sales, watching a deal slip through your fingers? Or worse still, where your sales pipeline is severely limited, meaning a lack of qualified interest and you cannot see a pathway to hitting quota. I sure have. That dreaded feeling you get when your manager is drilling you on the deal's next steps, your forecast and what is going to close this qtr.?

Trust me, I've been there. It feels like you're navigating a maze of B2B challenges, where every direction seems to lead to inevitable defeat. Below I have captured my thoughts to shed light upon all those shadows and explore some key reasons why you are not getting those sales.

First things first: I’m Travis Burge, Enterprise Account Director at Qualtrics . I've had my fair share of ups and downs in tech B2B sales having worked for LinkedIn , Enboarder and now Qualtrics , I’m about to break down for you what has worked for me and may help you to get your B2B deals out of sales stuck in neutral.

1. Mumbling the USP Blues: So, take this—it's your pitch. You're trying to explain what's supposed to be new or ingenious about your product or service. Instead of doing that, you find yourself weakly expressing it, with these diffuse promises and generalised statements. Been there? Dust off your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and put it in the limelight where it belongs. The customers need to know what sets you apart; therefore, sharpen your pitch and let your USP shine.
2. The Blind Spot: Ever found yourself trying to sell to a company without really understanding their business needs and pain points? That's like trying to hit a target with a blindfold on—it's not going to end well. Dig in and do the needed homework to get a grip on the challenges, objectives, and landscape of the industry in which they operate. This way, you will be armed with the right information, which will allow you to personalize your sales outreach and pitch, enabling you to help with solutions that will resonate with your prospects.
3. The Sophistication Gap: Look, in the ever-fluctuating world of sales today, there simply isn't a one-size-fits-all approach that works. If your sales methodology feels out of date or even lacking sophistication, then it is time to make a change. Invest in training and tools that empower your team to be more strategic and advanced in sales. From consultative selling to value-based propositions, a whole other world of refined techniques opens to the door to sales.?
4. Data Dilemmas: Ah, the dreaded CRM integrity problems - we have all been there. Your CRM system is supposed to be your trusty sidekick, not a liability because it is ridden with data inaccuracies. Cleanse your CRM data and ensure it is credible. Accurate data is what helps you to sharpen your sales efforts and to make decisions well, providing worthy opportunities. Imagine the $ in missed pipeline and ultimately revenue as a result of not having your target buyer personas included in your outreach campaigns!?
5. Sales Tech Paralysis: ?It's a progressively technical world we live in, but if the sales team is facing issues in getting engaged with sales technologies effectively, then you are just missing valuable insights and opportunities. While investment can sometimes be all right, deployment and adoption to produce dividends is another ballgame. Often reps lack a clear and appropriate strategy for deployment and adoption of these tools, leaving senior management frustrated with high costs and little ROI of their sales tech investments. Explore incentives to drive the adoption among the team, and leverage the customer success manager that typically comes packaged with these subscriptions to ensure full use for the best return on investment is delivered.? Investing in training and support to ensure that your team is upskilled with the capabilities needed to traverse the tech world.?
6. The Over Abundance of Choice: It is easy for consumers to be dithered between choices in a market cluttered with competitors. If there's a similar variety all around that is drowning and the sea is also filled with this kind of choice by your offering, then this is your best time to shine. With a crowded marketplace, it is important to cut through and reach prospects. At any given time only 3% of prospects are actively looking for a solution and another 40% are open to a conversation to explore. Using combo selling (outreach by email, phone, text, video message etc) and a focus on pattern disruption techniques to captivate interest will go a long way in standing out and booking that first meeting.?
7. The Trust Factor: Sales are based on trust, but with an aggressive, inauthentic way of going about it, sales will be difficult to come by. We have all seen the uber direct sales rep that pushes customers too far in a bid to buy, and it ain’t pretty.? More focus on rapport and credibility will go in place of getting the deal done. While pushy sales tactics may yield short-term gains, they will backfire in the end by destroying long-term trust and relationships.? Adopting a more consultative and customer-centric approach will place you in a position to be regarded with respect and loyalty in the long run.
8. Embracing AI: With the rise of AI technology, the sales rep stands to have a mighty new ally on their side. AI tools like ChatGPT can analyse data on the customer, predict the customer's behaviours and in some ways even compile a pitch to fit an offer for the customer. For example, my all-time favourite sales tool, Sales Navigator, has AI capability built into it giving me triggers on when an Account I manage is likely to buy, based on the activities of their employees on the platform.? A shift in mindsets towards one that sees AI as a sales complement can switch on new lights in terms of efficiency and effectiveness.

Whilst these are my mumblings on the key reasons I have witnessed in 15 years of selling SaaS tech, I could go all day on this topic. There is something addictive to making sales and as I get older the rush of dopamine seems to get stronger.?

The B2B sales profession is demanding new skill sets brought upon us by advances in sales technologies.? B2B sales success is well-peppered with challenges and obstacles— but there they are to be faced if one is to get ahead. Advances in, and the effective integration and adoption of these technologies including AI and ChatGPT, can only take us down the road towards new openings and real growth.??

So, fellow sales warriors, let's roll up our sleeves, sharpen our skills, and conquer the world of B2B sales together! I mean who doesn’t like commissions?