Anyone with a background in B2B sales knows that approaches to selling have changed over the last few years. Even before the pandemic, it was difficult to book meetings with prospects. Thanks to the web, buyers are more proactive and better informed, doing their own research before making any purchasing decision. The B2B sales process also has more stakeholders, each with their own buying opinions and criteria. Purchasing has become more of a self-service process, and sales reps are being invited to participate later in the decision-making process. Successful B2B salespeople, however, are developing new, more personalized sales strategies.

Successful B2B selling isn’t just a matter of pitching features. It’s a consultative sales process that promises to address the challenges customers face. But now, hybrid selling requires sales reps to do much more than guide a prospect through a spec sheet or web content. Reps need to help prospects understand the scope of their needs and align features and benefits to customer wants and needs. And it helps for the salespeople to be subject matter experts on the customer’s business, not just the product or service being sold.

Personalization Has Become Table Stakes

Personalized vendor interactions have become the norm. McKinsey reports that 71% of consumers expect companies to engage in a manner tailored to their needs, and 76% are frustrated when they don’t get personalized offers. Those companies that apply personalized selling grow at a 40% faster rate than those that don’t.

Applying a personalized approach to sales is more than dropping a prospect’s logo into a PowerPoint. It requires commitment and a comprehensive plan to ensure a positive outcome:

• Start by assessing the customer’s opportunities for profitability and growth.
• Develop an understanding of their strategic factors such as corporate goals and strategies.
• Map the factors that influence buying decisions and the stakeholder motivations.
• Outline the value proposition that your solution provides in compelling language.
• Communicate to individuals in the prospect’s or customer’s organization using your knowledge of the company and individual objectives.

Remember that not all accounts may be of significant value, and not every account is worth the same effort. Look at each prospect in terms of payoff and positioning. The payoff is what makes the account attractive to you, whether it’s potential profit, growth, the amount of account maintenance, or other factors. Positioning is how the account views your organization and your sales rep compared to competitors, which affects your likelihood of success.

Know the Types of B2B Buyers

B2B buyers have different decision-making styles and behaviors, and if you learn to identify them, you can better engage and remove the obstacles to a sale. It pays to understand different communication styles. We typically use the DISC sales profiles:

D types – Dominance buyers are direct and to-the-point. They tend to be rapid talkers with strong personalities and an impulsive decision-making style. To communicate with D types, you want to:

• Minimize features and maximize benefits.
• Focus on helping the buyer reach their goals.
• Listen closely so the buyer knows they are being heard.
• Ask targeted questions so as not to waste their time.
• Match their fast pace and don’t waste words.
• Be direct and answer questions without “fluff.”

I types – Influence-type buyers are friendly and chatty. They enjoy engaging with others and welcome small talk. Influencer buyers tend to respond well to testimonials and hearing about benefits in a positive way. They also tend to focus on the big picture and are less detail-oriented. The best way to talk to I types is to:

• Be friendly and animated
• Ask for their ideas and opinions
• Avoid dwelling on the minutiae or details
• Use personal stories that illustrate how others have benefitted from your solution

S types – Steadiness types tend to be patient and more easygoing. Their personalities tend to be more reserved and indirect, but they use a people-oriented approach with others. S types also have a methodical decision-making style and are risk-averse, reluctant to make a change without a proven ROI. To communicate with S types:

• Give them time, and don’t pressure them to decide too quickly
• Listen patiently and take your time with explanations
• Be direct when answering questions
• Demonstrate you are interested in a long-term relationship rather than a quick sale

C types – Compliance types are methodical. They focus on details and want to do things the “right” way. They often are skeptical and want analytics to demonstrate the impact of change. The best way to interact with C types is to:

• Use hard data to back up claims about your solution
• Avoid asking too many personal questions
• Be precise and slow down when answering questions
• Use a diplomatic and courteous tone
• Be conservative when making assertions

Personalizing Your Prospecting

Many sales reps start a conversation by asking, “what’s your biggest challenge?” or, worse, “This is what we offer. Aren’t you interested?” Successful new business discussions focus on the value they bring to the prospect. Personalize every conversation about how your solution helps them achieve their business objectives.

Try opening with an offer that combines your value with the prospect’s goals. Most organizations train their salespeople on the features and functions of their products. Sales reps who can speak to the problem rather than reciting a spec sheet forge a connection much faster. If you can offer a solution to their issues, it increases the chance of a meeting. It always pays to sell benefits over features.

What you really are selling is trust and value. Buyers are rethinking their relationships with suppliers, and while the rules of sales engagement haven’t changed, selling skills need to be magnified for virtual selling. To build trust, your buyer needs to be seen and understood. Don’t offer a one-size-fits-all solution.

Many sales reps feel they are at a disadvantage since the pandemic began because they can’t read body language over Zoom. They believe relationships must be built with face-to-face meetings. You can still build a meaningful business relationship in a virtual selling environment, although there are some tricks to a successful virtual sales call:

• Get their attention – It’s hard to keep someone’s attention during a sales call. People tend to check their email or multitask rather than pay attention. To discourage multitasking, ask pointed questions. Have you tailored the presentation to their needs? Do they understand the offer? Can you share your screen with them? What do they think? Do they have any questions?
• Interpret their reaction – Whether you have a video feed or just an audio link, listen closely for verbal cues during the interaction. Don’t only listen to what they are saying but how they are saying it. Being aware of those nuances makes it easier to make a successful presentation.
• Be empathetic – We all crave attention and want to be acknowledged, and we all have been in situations that present unique challenges. If you lend a sympathetic ear at the start of the call, it will help cement the relationship.

Remember that the salesperson’s job is to build trust in any sales relationship. That doesn’t mean you have to be liked. Building trust will help the buyer recognize value.

Having a structured program with well-defined goals is part of any consultative sales engagement. Using a personalized approach is part of consultative sales. If you can determine the type of buyer you are dealing with and identify their needs and objectives, then you can craft a tailored approach that highlights the value of your offering. The closer you listen to the prospect, the more information you get to refine your approach. Successful B2B selling requires personalization at every step of the engagement.

Russ Sharer is the Director of Strategic Sales Excellence at The Brooks Group. Russ has led large and small teams to achieve exponential growth and is passionate about helping people maximize their strengths and improve their performance on the job. He combines his 30+ years in B2B Sales and Marketing with his in-depth facilitation experience to connect the dots for program participants with a practical, “easy-to-learn” approach.