Tips for Fine Tuning Your B2B Strategy – Issue #2

1. Always Be Looking for Ways to Improve the Customer Experience [CX]
It’s easy for people to say nice things about you, but until you achieve your monthly objective for the number of referrals received from existing accounts, you cannot score a CX grade of “A”. Early in the relationship building process subtly inject “referrals” as your key lead source. When you receive excellent grades in surveys and quality reviews you have earned the right to ask for referrals.

2. Continuously Innovate
Improve the profitability of the mature slow growth areas of your business by bringing in-house some of the services that you have been buying from external providers. This is called vertical growth.

3. Apply Intuitive Sales Competencies
Differentiate the competencies required to win the first new deal from a new account Vs. expanding presence in an existing account. Processes will bolster efforts in both areas. Then, training and hiring can be tailored to enable the right people to perform well in each respective role.

4. Account-Based Marketing Causes Repeat Business, New Apps and Referrals
A sales representative can’t predictably be in front of each assigned account at the exact moment a buying process has or should have begun. Campaigns aimed at existing accounts should have a more familiar tone that acknowledges nuances of the existing relationship compared to campaigns aimed at suspects and prospects. Accounts will appreciate that your company consistently stays in touch with them regardless of who’s at the helm of the selling role. Marketing to existing accounts will complement selling to existing accounts.

5. Indirect Marketing Will Optimize Lead Generation
Find and participate in associations that are directly related to your category and the categories of your most valuable customers. Request opportunities to be a guest speaker at their events. There will most likely be a few people in the audience who will approach you to discuss an idea, problem or opportunity of interest to them.

6. Complementary Vendors Contribute to the Total Solution and Provide Referrals
Earn a greater mindshare with your most valuable complementary vendors by showcasing their skills and value proposition and referencing their contributions as part of your success stories and allowing them to participate in quality reviews that you conduct with your accounts.

7. A Strong Business Acumen Sets Your Employees Apart From Competitors
A strong business acumen helps a sales rep to earn the right to collaborate with customers to solve a business problem. And a strong business acumen also helps a sales rep to understand how their company wins. Sales reps must be trained to have the right business acumen for their job.

8. Predict Success
When employees are consistently self-educating themselves to develop the competencies they need to exceed your expectations, you’ll be confident that they are vested in your business.

9. Improve Success
If you create asset portfolios for your market segments including their respective customers, you will automatically think about ROI. Asset management begets actions to optimize the return on investment. Actually, these are your most important assets.