4 Key elements of a successful B2B Sales strategy
There have been multiple conversation topics around the post-pandemic B2C market and how companies have reevaluated their sales strategies to connect with a more digital consumer. The B2B sales process, which is known to be longer and more nuanced, is also evolving to respond to consumers increased need for convenience, security and lifestyle. For many B2B companies, this means critical changes in structure, investments in technology and people, as well as new internal processes to build more efficient engines of qualified pipeline generation. It also means more focus on client data and the development of insight-driven journeys that bring more tangible value to the prospect experience. Here are 4 key elements for creating a B2B sales strategy with a customer-centric approach.
- Data-Built Buyer Personas
Creating an accurate profile of customer personas and a hierarchic buying committee is the basis for implementing a B2B strategy built on sustainable practices. Using industry analyst insights, online tools and firmographic data, business leaders can create a detailed map of stakeholders, their possible business challenges, and roles in onboarding new suppliers. New technologies even allow to identify those companies and executives already in the market for specific solutions based on search engine and social media behavior. This kind of data is called Intent Data, and it allows for more customized and informed communication initiatives.
At Atento, we use Next Generation Analytics to establish and continually update customer personas throughout the duration of a B2B sales campaign. A good example of profile refinement consists in using speech analytics to identify customer sentiment and behavioral patterns associated with contact drivers. The data collected helps create continuous improvement roadmaps and machine-learning models to anticipate customers’ needs.
- Personalized Demand Generation:
Content strategy is essential in each touchpoint of the B2B client journey. Building a strong content foundation is as important as knowing the style and tone of voice that works for each channel in the sales strategy. That’s where the combination of data and personalized content creation can bring the most value. With the acquired understanding of target accounts’ buyer personas, companies can establish the content, channels and cadence of a high-performing B2B content plan.
These insights also guide content curation. A deeper understanding of customers’ pain points and areas of opportunity can help deliver the messages that resonate the most with the intended audience.
- Predictive and Proactive Omnichannel
The B2B sales process requires a concerted effort to make a memorable impact with every stakeholder throughout each touchpoint of the sales cycle. Today’s B2B suppliers and buyers are opting for a hybrid engagement model, favoring digital interactions for various stages of the decision-making process. A recent study published by Mckinsey & Co. showed that 20% of B2B buyers would be willing to make purchases of more than 500,000 in a fully digital model. For B2B companies, this means implementing strategies that prioritize seamless omnichannel connections and can be continually optimized based on interaction data.
Atento’s Integrated Multichannel platform offers a full range of orchestrated CX channels, supported by real-time customer data and experience design specialists. Our team of CX consultants and Data Science experts can assess a brand’s client journey and determine the most appropriate time and channel to deliver relevant messaging to prospects. Most importantly, our analytics team can generate customized dashboards, providing visibility on the efficiency of each channel and strategy. This is especially important for companies looking achieve a holistic view of the sales process to uncover improvement opportunities.
- CX Brand Ambassadors
When creating and implementing a B2B sales program, it’s important to offer prospects the ability to connect with live agents that can seamlessly transition between hybrid (video, voice & apps) channels. In fact, the same study by Mckinsey & Co. determined that 28% of B2B organizations have hybrid sales roles today. These agents should not only be knowledgeable about the industry and the company’s product offering, but they should also embody the brand’s values, mission and culture.
At Atento, we take pride in becoming an extension of the brands we service. And we achieve this by combining innovative talent acquisition practices, as well as training and development methodologies to build high-performance sales teams. Additionally, we work closely with our clients to achieve high levels of brand immersion, keeping agents inspired and motivated to deliver profitable, loyalty-building experiences.
As B2B development leaders make critical investments and organizational changes to support new B2B sales strategies, a CX partner like Atento can help connect the dots between brands’ product offerings and the client experience. With comprehensive sales solutions like Rocket Sales, Atento can help companies accelerate their B2B sales initiatives, while optimizing operational costs and mitigating risks.
