MarketStar Blog

B2B selling has become more complex. It used to be that B2B sales was a linear process, and a sales rep would own the customer relationship from lead development through final close and onboarding–then repeat the process. 

No longer. 

These days, customers are conducting proactive product research, trying to make sense of alternative solutions that meet their business needs. The process has become more complicated, in some cases making the customer less inclined to buy, fearing that they might make a mistake. As a result, the sales rep has to be a solution adviser that builds product confidence, quickly, with the customers.

Here is a fun metaphor, “My business is my baby.”

Throughout my years working alongside SMB marketing strategists as a sales funnel architect, I heard this metaphor more times than I could count. Additionally, as a touring musician between 2013 and 2017, the same metaphor was heard again, but in different context, “My guitar/bass is my baby.” For years, I assumed I fully understood the message this metaphor implied, but after becoming a parent, I finally get it. Businesses are indeed like children. They are brought into this world without the knowledge of where they want to go or how to get there, but like unto children, with a proper foundation to build upon, they can grow and become successful.

Not too long ago, B2B sales was a relatively uncomplicated process. Experienced sales reps would own the customer relationship, from prospecting and acquisition right through to product training. 

Times have changed.

B2B buyers are better educated and more discriminating, competition is tougher, and organizations are scrambling to lower their customer acquisition costs and increase customer lifetime value (LTV). As a result, the sales process has become more diversified, with different job functions for lead acquisition, nurturing, closing, and onboarding customers. 

Times are changing, and so is the way that B2B buyers source new business solutions. This means that you need to rethink your approach to building a sales team. Customers aren’t looking to buy specific products as much as they’re looking for ways to solve business problems. 

As a result, sales territories are fading in favor of selling using vertical market expertise. It’s a buyer’s world, and customers are better educated and want more value and better service, and so building a sales team that can offer better solutions requires a new strategy.

You would think that when it comes to selling technology, the same B2B sales process should work for all target customers, right? After all, sales prospects are all suffering from similar pain points and seeking the same types of solutions, and so you should be able to apply the same selling techniques to meet your sales goals. 

Wrong! 

The way customers buy technology differs based on size and budget, and you need to use a different strategy for selling to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) than you would for enterprise customers. A successful SMB sales strategy requires you to match your sales approach with the size of the customer.

There has been a change in tone to the word outsourcing. What was once considered a controversial way of doing business is now a seamless blend into the typical buildout of a successful company. The biggest reason? Outsourcing, particularly in relation to the sales process, allows companies to focus on what they do best, and leave the rest to a trusted  outsourced sales partner. 

ROI is a cold, hard number that business executives can use to determine the profitability of an investment. As such, it’s one of the most important parameters that they take into account when considering the adoption of new solutions or services.

Satisfying today’s customers is an uphill task, for they are spoilt for choice!

Creating a compelling product video is one of the most effective ways to communicate the benefits of your offerings. But even the most enthusiastic creator can stumble into pitfalls that render their video ineffective. Here’s a list of common mistakes to avoid, to ensure your videos deliver the desired impact. 

In today’s digital age, online videos have become the go-to medium for information sharing and consumption. According to comScore, 182 million U.S. Internet users watched online video content last year, averaging 23.2 hours per viewer. YouTube alone reached 4 billion daily global views, marking a 25% increase in just a few months. This rapid rise in online video consumption highlights its growing popularity among digital natives.