Three Costly Mistakes to Avoid in B2B Sales

You know that feeling.

A new potential client has shown interest with your products and services.

The initial meeting was positive; they liked your energy, and things look great!

Yes, you feel like they want to work with you.

You say,

“Great, I’ll send you a proposal!”

The following day, you emailed the proposal, only to be met with...silence.

You leave it off for a week.

You send a follow-up email.

Still crickets.

You wait. You follow up again. Still nada.

After a few weeks, an email finally drops into your inbox:

“Thanks, but we went with another company.”

And suddenly, you’re facing the big question: what went wrong?

The answer could be anything, really.

It could be....

The opportunity is not yet defined. It could be your price, your product feature, your positioning, or something else.

You will never know because you rushed into it.

In the B2B Sales Maturity Framework, there is the 7-step process.

1. Initiate
2. Qualify
3. Validate
4. Strategise
5. Propose
6. Win
7. Deliver

See how before propose, there are a few steps to consider?

Here is a deep dive on how to Qualify.

The underlying cause often stems from three costly mistakes.

1. First, you may have rushed into a proposal without understanding the opportunity (challenges and outcomes your clients want), Resources ( Money, people, time), and Decision-making process (how, what, and when they make a decision).
2. Second, your client is not ready for a proposal, or, as I call it, a micro-commitment. The proposal’s role is to help the client decide, but they are not ready yet.
3. Third, you missed the opportunity to walk the prospect through the proposal during a face-to-face meeting. It should’ve been discussed in person or on a video call. Proposals don’t close the sale; people do. The purpose of your proposal is to solve your client’s problem.

Presenting the solution is for your client to have all the information to make a decision.

We present. They decide.

Proposing is about more than just providing a service or product.

It’s about understanding your client’s needs, expectations, and goals. Missteps during the initial sales process could lead to a proposal that fails to meet your client’s requirements, causing them to seek solutions elsewhere.

So, how do we prevent this from happening again?

Approach the sales process as an adviser and partner with your client.

Go shopping with them, curating a perfect solution. Aim to understand their current predicament, ideal outcome, and the obstacles in their path.

Let's wrap up. There are three fundamental rules to remember:

1. Do not rush. Follow your sales process. Take your time. If you’re in a rush, the proposal will not cut it. Take your time and address the real issues your prospect is facing.
2. Gain micro-commitment. Your client agreed to receive a proposal from you, and it’s clear that they are ready to decide.
3. Never email proposals. Walk them through your proposal during a face-to-face meeting or call. It is your responsibility to understand their goals, roadblocks, the value of achieving them, and how they plan to measure success. If your client can't attend a proposal presentation, it means they are not ready.

If you stick to these, you’ll craft more well-thought-out options that pave the way for future success.

Qualify and validate before you position and influence.

Take your time.

Your clients will thank you for it.

How did I go this week? I would love to hear from you.??

Ren Saguil