Unleashing the Power of Pain Points: Revolutionizing B2B Sales

That was the mistake I used to repeat.

I am talking about B2B sales. During the initial days of my career, I always used to talk about the features and benefits during the demos. I was into Software sales and I remember, talking so much about the features of 'Data Transformation Software', explaining how easily our software can transfer and transform data from various systems to automate complex data flows. I used to explain a lot about the product feature explaining how software can transform the data from one form to another form.

I am sure you are also doing the same. You may say, "that is the primary selling method'.

The question is what's wrong with it?

The problem was that the middle-level managers and the actual users used to be very happy with the demo or presentation but always sales cycle was long.

Why?

Because senior leaders were not much interested in my product features and hardly asked any questions. I am sure many of them could not understand the technology as well.

Middle-level management was happy but unfortunately, they are not the decision-makers.

Top-level management was not convinced and they are the decision-makers.

In the world of marketing and sales, we've all been taught to emphasize the features and functions of our products or services.

It's the traditional way of approaching B2B sales.

However, there's a fundamental flaw in this approach that often leads to prolonged and unpredictable sales cycles.

The truth is, the pain points of decision-makers, whom we'll call "control (CEO, CXO, who controls the decision-making process" rarely align with the features and functions we're so eager to highlight. These aspects usually resonate more with middle managers and end-users who lack the authority or control to make purchasing decisions.

The consequence of this misalignment is a never-ending cycle of selling and reselling, where managers attempt to sponsor your solution to the executive, or even worse, take it upon themselves to sell it directly. The key to escaping this frustrating loop lies in a profound shift: Instead of climbing up the corporate ladder, you must start at the top with 'Control'. By understanding and addressing Control's pain points, you can streamline the sales process and achieve significantly higher close rates.

What is the solution?

To begin your sales journey, it's crucial to identify the executive-level pain points that your solution can effectively address. You must learn to think like the decision maker, for their thoughts rarely revolve around specific features and functions. 'Control' is more concerned with overarching business issues that impact the organization as a whole.

Your task is to identify these critical business issues and align your solution in a way that resonates at the executive level. After all, the 'Control' possesses the authority to make purchasing decisions, and you must demonstrate the clear value of your offering.

Exploring Pain Points of the 'Control.

Let's dive into a sample list of Control's pain points to gain a deeper understanding of the higher-level business issues and executive concerns we're referring to:

1. Increasing Productivity
2. Reducing cost
3. Increasing efficiency by certain %
4. Competitive Advantage and Innovation
5. Increasing Profits
6. Increasing Brand Value
7. Addressing Customer-Initiated Changes
8. Enhancing Customer Loyalty
9. Responding to Industry-Initiated Changes
10. Optimizing the Use of Existing Assets
11. Proactive Response to Competitive Pressure
12. Improving Efficiency
13. Outpacing Industry Growth
14. Improving Compliance and Reducing Risk
15. More Visibility and Control
16. Improving Stock Prices and Market Capitalization (for public companies)

Let's delve into a few examples to illustrate the significance of these pain points.

Consider the concept of increasing brand value. While measuring brand value can be a challenging task, accomplishing it can have a profound impact on your business.

Let me give an example.

I sell a cloud-based learning platform where universities can add their name and logo on certification and on the learning dashboard.

Adding the logo and name on an AI-enabled learning platform is a feature whereas when a student shares his/her certifications with the logo of the university on social media, it is a branding activity.

In the case of Data Transformation Software ( that I have mentioned above), the feature is the ability of the software to migrate the data from one form to another form.

The outcome of the usage of this software looks like something like this.

1) 80% time-saving in a particular activity.

2) Minutes spent processing the tickets reduced from 7-8 minutes to 1-2 minutes.

3) 60000 USD saved annually.

Unlocking the Sales Revolution

By focusing on Control's pain points and aligning your solution with their high-level business issues, you can revolutionize your B2B sales approach. It's time to shift away from the traditional reliance on features and functions and embrace a more strategic and impactful method.

Understanding Control's pain points enables you to engage executives directly, streamline the sales process, and achieve higher close rates. It empowers you to create compelling value propositions that resonate at the highest levels of the organization.

So, the next time you embark on a sales journey, remember to unleash the power of pain.