MSP sales generally occur between two businesses and although some of the sales techniques will be similar to those when selling to consumers, there are certain nuances you have to be aware of to get the most out of your experiences.
When you are mainly concerned with B2B selling, you have to tailor your approach so that it appeals more to the business customer, and here are some tips that can help.
Use Research in Preference to Cold Calling
With all the information on the internet at your fingertips, you should never be cold calling prospects just on the off chance. A little homework goes a long way if you want to pre-qualify your targets with regard to their needs and whether they will be profitable for you. Making sure they have a real need for your services and products can accelerate any meetings you have with them and almost guarantee a sale.
It is also important to keep qualifying your prospects when you meet with them. If you can establish that they do in fact have a problem you can solve and your services will be within their budget, you will be well on the way to securing them as a customer.
Be Informative and Helpful, Not “Salesy”
MSP sales calls and meetings must not include traditional hard-selling practices. This is becoming outdated, particularly for businesses as it can seem unprofessional. Instead, set up meetings that are more like fact-finding interviews and it will give the impression that you care about the prospect and their company while giving you an excellent opportunity to find out more about them.
In the same vein, being pushy will only alienate people which obviously is not the impression you want to leave them with. Alternatively, showing your knowledge of their business and the issues that they face day to day will encourage them to find out more about your company. If you can demonstrate how you can make life easier for them, they will be happier going into business with you.
This is particularly important if you can sell the business outcomes and results that you can help them achieve, rather than just saying what your products and services can do. Being able to visualise where they want to be and you showing them that you can help them get there, will stand you in far greater stead than aggressive sales techniques.
Conclusion
Try some of these tips if your MSP sales are flagging. With a more directed effort because of sufficient research carried out before any calls are made, you will make better use of your time and be in the right place to convert more leads. Finally, never forget that even though you are selling business to business, your contacts are people too. Treat them well and the positive personal impression that you leave them with will contribute to you being able to close as many B2B sales as you can manage.
