The sales team is the key contributing factor to revenue in an organization. So having a well-defined sales strategy is important in facilitating the sales team to convert leads into customers. The business-to-business (b2b) sales cycle is a well-defined process. It starts from lead generation to acquiring a sound knowledge of the product and the prospect’s business, to preparing a customer-friendly pitch, handling objections raised by the prospect, and closing the deal. But to equip the salespeople to sell more proficiently and make the business grow, the company needs to have a comprehensive b2b sales training program in place. A successful sales training program focuses on providing value to customers while boosting company sales at the same time.

Designing strategies to get the best out of the sales team and scale the company

Designing a sales training program is a tough call. According to experts, a successful b2b sales training program is a marriage between sales and marketing. Once the company can convince the customer how their product or solution can help in resolving their problems, it is easier to convert prospects into customers. But no company today has the bandwidth to come up with b2b sales training programs because these programs require in-depth research, brainstorming, and creativity. The companies, therefore, resort to courses available online and workshops that provide customized training covering different stages of the b2b sales cycle. Through some of these workshops, and training, the sales teams are taught how to leverage outsourcing, be a cut above the rest, and improve their sales.

Lead generation

This is one of the first stages in the sales cycle. It is the process of finding out people who have expressed interest in the product. Additionally, the company must know who are the people they can bank upon for conversion. But as businesses continue to expand, they find it harder to handle the number of leads that keep pouring in. This is because most companies do not have a fully functional sales team in place. This gives rise to the need to outsource sales tasks to different companies.

Outsourcing sales may consist of market research, outbound calling, or responding to inbound calls. B2b sales outsourcing companies help in increasing flexibility and allow the sales teams to focus on other high-level tasks. CloudTask is one such company that not only helps in lead generation. But also engages with prospective customers and re-establishes connections with cold leads. Plus, they also help in persuading the customers to buy additional items. Or send them reminders through emails close to the expiry date of their membership or subscription, encouraging them to take action. Aside from lead generation, other B2b sales outsourcing companies like Martal group, also help with personalized outreach, customer onboarding, and account management.

Discovering sales qualified leads

Having a thorough knowledge of the product to be sold and the prospect’s business requirements is crucial. A successful transaction takes place only when the seller can fulfill the needs of the buyer or provide solutions to some long-standing problems. The workshops equip the sales teams with ways to understand the prospect’s pain areas. Once it is clear what is troubling the customer, it is easier to provide them with solutions. The groundwork can be done by connecting to them through LinkedIn, reading up on the latest news stories on their company’s website, or following the current happenings in their industry.

Making the discovery call

Once the customer’s pain points have been discovered, it is time to make the call. The workshops teach the sales teams how to make that impactful first call without being too persuasive. The calls can then be recorded for further feedback and analysis.

Pitching in with the product

Through these training programs, the sales teams learn how not to beat the bush and come straight to the customer’s problem areas. The goal is to avoid demonstrating the wonderful features of the product and instead show the customer how the product can help in solving their issues by arousing their curiosity about the product.

Handle objections

Learning how to handle queries raised by prospects is an important step in closing the deal. No customer will ever buy the product immediately after hearing about it. They will have follow-up questions that the seller should listen to with patience. Depending on how robust the resolutions are, the faster sales conversion rates will be.

Closing the deal

This is the most interesting part of the b2b sales process. Once the customer is satisfied with the seller’s problem resolution and understands the product is investment-worthy, they will offer to buy the product. The sales training prepares the sales teams for this vital step.

Following up with the prospect

The training and workshops teach the sales teams how to follow up with the prospect. After the call is over, it is a mandatory step to send the prospect a follow-up mail. Keeping it professional with a clear explanation of the steps they need to follow to complete the transaction along with a recording of the conversation is a necessary gesture.

Conclusion

Every step involved in the sales cycle is equally important in converting leads into sales. So a tailor-made series of training and workshops can help companies develop useful b2b insights and create a powerful sales process.