How to Win Complex B2B Sales
You might be of the belief that winning complex B2B sales is impossible for the average salesperson and that it’s all about having a great product and a stellar sales team. But you’d be wrong. It’s all about your process and the unique way you approach selling.
See, there’s this little-known thing called the Winning Complex Sales (WCS) process. Hardly anybody is talking about it. But when you learn it and use it, you’ll see a huge difference in your sales cycle and how quickly you can go from deals worth thousands to those worth millions in a short period of time.
I’m about to reveal the exact formula and step-by-step system for winning more complex B2B sales in less time.
Win More Complex B2B Sales in Less Time
While a multi-million-dollar contract can keep a firm flush with revenue for years, most salespeople lack the skill to pursue large prospective deals. They tend to think transactionally, so they need to be coached on the preparation, strategy and tactics — and this is best accomplished with a WCS process.
Step 1: Prep, which means:
- Map out the org chart of the target company.
- Understand your product inside and out.
- Know how to articulate your value proposition and explain why the customer needs your product.
- Select the top prospects that offer the biggest potential return on time and money spent.
- Research each target firm (annual statements, news articles, social posts, etc.) to uncover their mission, areas of growth, and challenges.
- Identify the players in each firm who contribute to the buying decision and how their buying process works. This is where the map in step a comes into play. You might need a “coach” or insider, as described further below, to help figure this out.
Now, that all seems like a lot of work before you even contact the prospect, and that’s the point! You want to focus on the best deals and do your homework rather than wing it on a bunch of long shots.
In truth, the WCS prep work process saves a lot of time in the long run. Few sales organizations do it thoroughly, despite it being one of two steps that lead to success in winning complex sales.
What’s the second step?
Step 2: Connect and engage properly.
Many salespeople are “professional visitors.” Not diggers, hustlers, closers. They stop by with donuts or whatever every once in a while. A sales team using the WCS framework does more focused work.
Once the target’s org board is mapped out, each important player is labeled per their role:
ENDORSER: The big kahuna decision-maker who MUST sign off on the deal. Usually, an exec but sometimes a team.
DECIDER: Most often, this is someone who directly manages the area where your product will be deployed. They buy to solve the problem for their area of responsibility and make the final call before presenting to the ENDORSER.
ASSESSOR: Someone with whom the buyer “checks in” to get their opinion on your proposal. This can be a finance person, someone with deep technical knowledge, or a lower-level manager.
USER: These employees benefit directly from your product. They are sometimes ASSESSORS since they will use the solution in their day-to-day work and provide valuable feedback on what is truly needed.
COACH: This role can be internal or external (such as a Fractional Leader), and can be considered your biggest supporter. They give you the inside scoop on who the decision-makers are, current needs and problems and might even grease the tracks for you to get the first meeting. The coach must be nurtured to help you dive deep into the other roles and understand the demographics and psychographics of the business.
The team then gets busy engaging with the key players in a focused way. The methodology is to hone in on the issues the prospect company cares about as uncovered in prep and with the coach’s help.
It’s here where a good CRM platform comes into play, as each contact needs to be recorded so the whole team stays informed, and the next steps are appropriately planned. Outreach methods include cold calls, emails, drip letter campaigns, networking, lunches, etc. And if you bring donuts, as I joked about earlier, make sure you engage with one of the key roles each time, as described above.
Communicating to these various roles without the research in Step 1 wastes an enormous amount of time as you have no idea what the buttons are. And most times, you only have ONE SHOT.
To Sum Up: Why a Winning Complex Sales Process Is Critical
To circle back to the beginning of this post — the average salesperson is NOT able to win complex B2B sales without a solid WCS process in place. Mapping and nurturing are the key to FOCUS and INFLUENCE. At Volohaus, we help firms set this all up and execute.
Would your firm benefit from a great WCS? How could it change your company and its revenue if you put one in place this month? If you’d like to discuss this further, please feel free to reach out to us at volohaus.com.
About the Author
Shaun Alger is Practice Manager at revenue growth firm VoloHaus. To learn more about how VoloHaus can help you accelerate your company’s growth, contact Shaun at 760-815-4464 or shaun@volohaus.com.
