B2B sales strategy: focus and flexibility
B2B sales strategy: focus and flexibility
B2B sales strategy: focus and flexibility
"Our product is good. We just need to approach the right target group with it, then people will automatically recognize the benefits it brings them in business. We will continue to gain momentum once word gets around about how good our product is." This mindset is the epitome of "We don't need a B2B sales strategy". This or something similar is the mindset of many who offer powerful solutions but fall short of their ambitions when it comes to B2B sales. While even the competition has to admit that the new solution could be a threat to them, the big impact fails to materialize: Because even the best products and services are not a sure-fire success without consistent sales work. The indispensable basis for success on the market is your own B2B sales strategy.
B2B sales strategy is not an end in itself
The team must openly analyze problems in B2B sales in order to reposition itself. The reality check can be tough. As insiders, where do we see the USPs of our offerings and is this also reflected in the view of our target group? And who is the target group anyway? Only those who manage to convey their own strengths to the outside world will be able to showcase their product to its full advantage. Otherwise you run the risk of getting lost in the mass of offers. Products and services need a strong profile so that they also fit into the relevant niche from the customer's point of view.
A plan ensures that all the pieces fit together: your own B2B sales strategy. It replaces irrelevance and confusion with a clear external positioning and defined internal processes.
Where do we stand?
Everyone knows the basics: what does my market look like and what competitive offers are available? Without the answers to these questions, the development of products or services can easily go in the wrong direction, not to mention the subsequent problems in B2B sales. But as part of the B2B sales strategy, the team needs to take a closer look at these aspects. The market continues to evolve and every offering has its own strengths and weaknesses.
This results in different niches. Some of them may already be occupied, as there is an established range that is almost perfectly tailored to the requirements of the customer segment. But what makes products a must-have for one segment may be completely irrelevant for others. These target groups derive their added value from completely different aspects. If we can match our own strengths with this, then the most important discussion partners have been identified. Knowing the market and the competition: This is not only part of the B2B sales strategy, but also helps sales teams in their day-to-day work.
Where do we want to go?
Once we know where we stand, we can look ahead. Examining our own position in comparison to the competition can be a sobering experience. Realistic goals are therefore required. Where do we want to go? Only smart goals will move the team forward. They are specifically formulated and measurable so that an objective statement about the achievement of objectives is possible. The main difference between real goals and good intentions is that they are actually accepted and realistic. This creates commitment and clear responsibility. They are scheduled and therefore set the pace for optimizing B2B sales.
Visions of the future are important, but without a clear plan with intermediate goals, we can easily get lost along the way. Having the TV tower within sight helps with orientation. However, Google Maps guides tourists in Berlin much more directly to their destination. So the practical aspect is also important: Define target groups precisely and select relevant channels.
How do we get everyone involved on the same track?
Your sales organization has all this behind it and yet things are not really running smoothly? This step is usually responsible for this: where we want to go with performance and which segments we want to focus on is the theory. But how we do this is the translation into practice. B2B sales strategy without a sales process remains a pale vision.
In order to sell successfully in the B2B sector, the team needs clear procedures and rules for working together. After all, the sales process is not a solo performance. Target agreement and performance measurement through controlling, marketing for awareness and inbound sales, customer success for long-term relationship management: everyone involved must be integrated. They need the right information at the right time. Without the alignment of marketing and sales, the inbound approach cannot work. In this way, each domain can play to its core competencies.
Individual highlights are important, but ultimately a convincing team performance is the best guarantee for a stable performance. "Convincing salespeople in personal contact, but too many complications on the way to closing the deal": feedback like this threatens if sales processes in the background are inadequate. A strong cross-divisional culture of collaboration prevents this - just like the consistent use of digitalization in B2B sales. Of course, good coordination is only possible on the basis of a shared commitment to objectives and procedures. This ensures stable collaboration without the divisions gradually drifting off into their own lives again.
How do we keep the process going?
Joint commitment, stable cooperation: this sounds as if the creation of a static construct is the goal of the B2B sales strategy. In fact, the strategy is the guiding principle. However, it is certainly not set in stone. That would make it unnecessarily complicated to regularly put it to the test. But that is precisely what is important. All areas involved must constantly check whether the B2B sales strategy is still the best way to achieve the goal. What is going well, what do we need to optimize? By contributing their expertise, all stakeholders not only help to further develop the strategy. At the same time, they are constantly renewing their commitment.
In doing so, it sets up the organization in such a way that it can adapt flexibly to changes. Sales teams that consistently lay the foundations can actually benefit from a sales dynamic of their own. The company then builds up a standing in the market that simplifies acquisition and the internal culture of cooperation supports growth. Of course, sales work will never be a sure-fire success. But if a clear sequence of steps takes the place of awkward stumbling, a lot has already been gained.
Strategy is the key to B2B success
A great deal of passion and effort is put into your own product or service in all areas. This is the only way to create solutions that enrich the market with their individual performance profile. In order for this to be successful, the sales department must present itself consistently to the outside world. This cannot succeed without structuring your own procedures and systematically integrating internal process partners. Good B2B sales strategies bring all of this together. They set suitable goals without forgetting the means for implementation: Target segments, USP, clear processes and constant rethinking to get the best out of it.
