What Sales Strategy Does Your Account-Based Team Utilize?

A winning B2B sales strategy can help your team net lucrative accounts that increasingly bring in more sales. However, businesses have bottom lines, stakeholders and regulated budgets, so you can't rely on cold pitches and impulse buys for steady growth. If your conversion rates aren't budging, learn to identify the right buyer and craft pitches that build trust.

Resolve Conflicting Goals

A B2B sales strategy falls apart when there's internal conflict about the needs of clients or the company's definition of success. Is the sales team communicating client values to the marketing team? Is the marketing team using the right messages and channels to attract qualified leads? Are both departments collaborating with senior management and product development teams to plan timely, in-demand rollouts that fit the company's target market? Salespeople need a clear value proposition to land new accounts, which only happens consistently when the entire company agrees on who the right buyers are and what motivates them.

Research High-Value Prospects

Sales staff waste valuable time pursuing clients who are unlikely to respond positively to your product, pricing or brand positioning. A low conversion rate is a sign your team is using a catchall approach to attract a high quantity of leads instead of researching high-value companies that closely fit your ideal buyer personas. Use existing data to identify traits and behavior that lead to profitable account acquisitions, and develop criteria for qualifying leads. Take advantage of social media to engage prospective clients and track company news that could improve sales pitches, including mergers, marketing campaigns, product releases and VC funding.

Build Client Relationships

Dealing with politics and hierarchies in client companies is a huge obstacle to closing a major sale. The larger the business, the more people involved in decision-making. As a result, building relationships with influencers at multiple levels can make your B2B sales strategy more effective. Train sales staff to gain contacts within client companies and dig for details about the priorities and problems of different stakeholders, making it easier to design tailored services that set you apart from competitors.

Refine Your Methodology

A vague B2B sales strategy may give your staff too much freedom to develop individual methods, which can lead to inconsistent results and conflicting client expectations. To keep staff on the same page and improve efficiency, create a standard set of practices and solutions. Study everything you can about your sales pipeline to understand when and why customers make key decisions, and rate the value of interactions at major touchpoints. Refining your B2B sales strategy ensures a consistent experience for clients, while enabling your team to invest time and resources at the most influential moments.

Invest in Efficiency Tools

Make it easy for sales staff to provide clients with relevant information and solutions in a timely manner. A great pitch can hit a roadblock if your sales rep can't answer key questions, overcome objections or customize services to fit a client's needs. Establish systems that provide quick access to account information, case studies, testimonials and statistics, so sales reps can effectively manage relationships and adjust sales pitches as they learn more about clients.

Markets continually change, and your B2B sales strategy should evolve as clients face new challenges and opportunities. Evaluate your sales performance periodically to make sure your methods are still driving growth.

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