As your business grows, you might need to find new B2B Rockstars to expand your sales team.
And when it takes just seven seconds to make that all-important first impression, it’s crucial your new sales gurus are clued up and ready to impress.
So we’ve put together some key traits and top tips to make sure you’re building the A-grade sales team – and converting those hard-earned leads into solid results.
So what are the traits to look out for?
Inquisitive – preparation, preparation, preparation
Preparation prevents… well you know how it ends. And when 70% of B2B buyers rate how vendors engage with them as having more impact than what they were actually selling, being prepared is essential if you want success.
A-grade Sales Gurus will go one-step further by understanding their prospect as an individual, their company, and their wider industry issues before even picking up the phone. What pain points of their role can your product overcome? How can you relate to your prospect?
TIP: Top up your call preparation by using Lead Forensics Visitor Tool to understand key details about prospects that have visited your website including, turnover, SIC code, company size, location and more. Not only will they be impressed with your prep, you’ll be spending your talk time valuably by already having a headstart with them!
Keen listener – great at asking the right questions
With the rise of the Human to Human (#H2H) trend, it’s obvious that it’s no longer about ‘selling to businesses’ but identifying the needs of different people and treating them as individuals.
A-grade sales gurus know that the most effective way to present their product or service is to uncover their prospect’s goals, objectives, concerns and hesitations. By asking key open questions and (most importantly) listening, they’ll know if a need exists and what issues or problems their product can solve.
TIP: By gaining insight into what prospects are looking for, you can better tailor your call to suit their needs and prep to answer any questions that arise. Have they spent much time on your product pages? Did they check out pricing or read a blog post? Using Lead Forensics to uncover this information instantly profiles your prospect and can save valuable time for both them and you.
Organized – They know that timing is everything
Odds of qualifying a lead are a whopping 21 times better if you follow up within 5 minutes of that lead’s creation (instead of 30 minutes after creation).
Your A-grade sales gurus need to be quick off the bat when understanding how your prospect thinks and when they’re ready to buy, especially as you don’t want them being influenced by your competition.
TIP: Use the Watchlist feature to alert your sales gurus in real-time when a hot prospect visits your website. If they’re looking around pricing or trial pages, you can follow up with a timely call, successfully moving them through the next stages of the buyer journey.
Adaptable – Good sales people don’t just follow-up
80% of sales are made between the 5th and 12th contact with a prospect, so it’s key to schedule regular follow-ups if you know they’re not quite ready to buy just yet. And when nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than non-nurtured leads, it’s essential your sales gurus provide on-going value when prospects aren’t yet ready to buy.
A-grade sales gurus won’t just reach out by phone, they’ll connect through social, email and live channels too. They’ll consider key times like business anniversaries or events and provide a personal touch with timely and useful content.
Want to speak to one of our own #SalesGurus about how Lead Forensics can provide the ultimate sales support? Speak to an expert.
