Sales and marketing professionals often deal with clients and their representatives who, more often than not, have little decision power. And after all the negotiations and verbal agreements, you hear them say that they’ll need some time to present the deal to their supervisors.
And then there are moments when you lose the contact and end up having to start from scratch, which can be extremely frustrating. Going through the motions of finding that contact again can cost you precious time that could have been better spent on getting another client.
This is why it’s important to be able to quickly identify and prospect the right C-suite executive, thus improving your chances of sealing the deal.
Prospecting Top-Level Clients For B2B Sales
Usually, for B2B sales, C-suite executives have the final decision power as they are the ones who’ll be cutting the paycheck. However, thinking that a C-suite will always agree for a meeting with you is impractical. You have to smartly identify high-level clients in the deal and work to get them included in the negotiation process. In this article, we’ll look at some of the ways you can identify and connect with key clients online.
1. Be prepared and know what you’re offering
The first step you should take in online prospecting is to be well-versed in your product. Knowing your solution in minute detail will not only prepare you for all lines of product questions, but it will also help you to identify the right top executive for your particular product.
This is especially true for products that are made solely for a single department or function, where you need to identify the correct client for the product or you’ll end up wasting your efforts.
As C-suites are a busy group, it’s hard to get them to agree for a short online meeting. So when you do get the chance to connect with them, you need to utilize it to the fullest and be quick on your feet. Thus, having complete knowledge of the product is necessary for effectively capturing your prospect’s attention and making a lasting impression.
2. Identify decision makers by their common qualities
As you become more experienced in the sales environment, you’ll learn to identify decision makers by some of their common qualities. Certain aspects, such as their title or tenure, can give you a clearer picture of their decision-making power. And with more and more business leaders having online profiles on professional networking platforms, finding the right prospect for your solution is easier than before.
A surefire way of identifying decision makers is through LinkedIn. Using the site’s proprietary search filters and common connection feature, you can search for anyone in an organization and access their information like their titles and role in a company.
To further narrow your prospecting search, you can also view the business networking groups or online discussion boards that your target clients are participating in. These can provide valuable insights in their business needs and objectives that may be related to your product or the pain points that your solution can solve.
3. Know everything about the company
Identifying your prospects is not the end of your prospecting. Once you have confirmed your target client, you need to learn as much as possible about their company. From the organizational chart to the firm’s mission and industry trends, the more research you perform on the company, the more targeted and in-depth your sales pitch will be.
Especially in B2B sales, knowing the industrial needs and challenges your prospect faces can guide you in generating a personalized sales pitch that better fits your targeted prospect’s objectives. With ample online news portals and market research platforms available, be sure to read up on the latest news and trends of your prospect’s organization and industry.
Understanding the organizational structure will also help you to pinpoint other decision makers that might be involved in a sales purchase. Certain major business decisions may involve multiple stakeholders so be sure to include this possibility in your prospecting strategy to prevent any surprises or hiccups in your sales process.
4. Don’t be afraid to use your connections
In a B2B environment, the biggest resource for increasing prospects is the existing customer pool, which lets you identify and meet C-suite executives more effectively. Data indicates that having a referral can significantly increase your chances of getting a meeting with a B2B prospect by 50%. With a strong referral, you’ll know exactly who the actual decision makers are and can approach them with complete confidence.
Professional referrals are not the only way to approach a potential C-suite client. Dorie Clark, the author of ‘Reinventing You’ believes that finding a common friend can significantly increase your credibility. “When a friend makes the introduction, the person you want to meet will view you as a colleague, someone like them, rather than a stranger impinging on their time,” says Clark.
In LinkedIn, for instance, you can easily see if you are connected to your prospect through a 1st-degree contact. Whether your connection is a mutual friend or a business associate of your target client, that extended connection can be utilized as a starting point to building relations.
5. Work your way up
More often than not, the people that will help you identify your prospect are the gatekeepers and assistants. In addition to being the trusted resource of a C-suite, these gatekeepers and personal assistants can be a great source of information for you. This is another way how the organizational chart and profiles of company employees can prove useful in your prospecting.
For example, when viewing the LinkedIn profile of your prospects, take note of other company staff that they are connected to and keep an eye on their job title. Employees with titles such as Executive Assistant or Secretary usually work closely with the C-suites, and can aid in connecting you with your prospect.
By building a rapport with them, you’ll be able to find out more about the responsibilities and the strategies of the decision makers. You’ll also be able to use that information to identify the correct decision makers and take pointers on how to keep the C-suite engaged during a meeting.
6. Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Finally, remember that it’s alright to ask questions from your point of contact in the organization.
Everyone likes to show outsiders that they are important but it can be insensitive (and more importantly, unprofessional!) to ask someone if they are the decision maker in the company. However, you can be smart about it and extract the information you need through other means.
When prospecting for your client, and once you have established a closer relationship, you can ask questions in your online chats and meetings like ‘What does your supervisor expect from this transaction?’ or ‘How long will the approval process be?’ By asking these questions, you can get a fair idea of how much power your current point of contact has and how much work you’ll have to do to finalize the deal with the company’s C-suite.
Conclusion
B2B sales have evolved greatly from simple cold calling and lead generation, shifting further into digital strategies. In the current times, you need to be even more efficient and vigilant due to the tough competition in the market, and fully utilize the benefits of the online landscape. Maximizing your online prospecting combined with online sales strategies will give you that extra boost in gaining quality leads and increasing your competitive position.