Selling B2B professional services is no day at the beach, as you’ve probably deduced by now. Getting B2B sales deals across the finish line can be an uphill marathon that leaves you face down on Heartbreak Hill. Unlike your B2C colleagues, you can’t ride the wave of multi-million dollar product launches or other advertising campaigns to convince prospects of the amazing benefits that your product or service delivers.

Moreover, there are no impulse buys in B2B, no equivalent of customers adding candy to their shopping basket while waiting in the check-out line. Your marketing campaigns and sales pitches speak to business goals with a deadline and problems that must be resolved.

On top of that many, if not most, B2B services that Freelancers provide are unlike the various software as a service products that can be easily compared and evaluated, feature by feature. Once a prospect has found you, it’s necessary to pitch your solution in a narrative mix of hard facts and soft skill intangibles that portray you and your capabilities as an effective and trustworthy choice.

In some instances, you may even work to convince a prospect that there actually is a problem to solve, that something can be done in a faster or easier way. As a result, the sales cycle of the typical Freelance consultant is long. So what can you do to keep the pipeline filled and your cash-flow positive now and into 2022? There are some cultural shifts to keep in mind as you consider strategies that you might implement.

The Great Resignation factor

In the early 2000s, I started to notice that important contacts at companies with whom I worked regularly disappeared in about two years. Not good! So much of obtaining repeat business depends on relationships. It costs you money when an ally leaves a prospect’s decision team. You may not know where they’re going next and they usually don’t take you with them by introducing you and your services at their next assignment

This phenomenon is detrimental to the future of your business. The Great Resignation factor (addressed in the September 7, 2021 post) has heightened this trend. Freelancers are advised to include this reality in client pursuit and post-project client retention strategies. You can’t control what will happen, but knowing that a change is brewing gives you the opportunity to ask who will join the project discussions, so you’ll have a chance to begin building a new relationship, starting with an email introduction.

The 2021 LinkedIn Global State of Sales Report, which surveyed 7,500 B2B buyers and sellers in 11 countries, advises sellers to stay current with intel about project decision-makers and stakeholders. The survey found that 25% of decision-makers either change roles or leave the company in a given year. The survey also found that unfortunately, 85% of sellers reported that they lost at least one sales deal, or that a deal was delayed, because a key stakeholder left his/ her job. Of the many advantages acquired by tactfully remaining in touch with the primary decision-maker and influential stakeholders of every potential sales deal is receiving updates regarding who’s on and who’s off the team.

The Work From Home factor

Some companies have at least temporarily continued the work from home protocol for their employees when possible, but many have begun asking staff to work on-site at least 2 – 3 days/week. Still, the practice throws cold water on face2face sales meetings. The 2021 State of Sales Report indicates that B2B virtual selling gives the advantage to buyers, however McKinsey reports that 76% of B2B buyers prefer in-person sales meetings, or at least a telephone meeting. when evaluating a product or service that they’ve not used before. Zoom is convenient but apparently not considered ideal for first time meetings.

When appropriate, McKinsey found that 46% of B2B buyers say they’ll make purchases online online, but only 10% do so. Notably, 46% of B2B buyers feel it’s too difficult to compare the available products online. These buyers also are dissatisfied by the frequently slow responses to their inquiries.

The Digital transformation factor

Warning: 70% of digital transformation initiatives fall short of expectations. McKinsey reported that companies achieve the best results when a combination of human and digital interactions create a hybrid buyer’s journey. Because prospective buyers appreciate fast answers to their basic questions about your products and services, installing a chat bot and adding a FAQ tab to your website will expedite the delivery of information and facilitate a satisfying buyer’s journey that instills trust in your company and its solutions.

If you are tech savvy, explore and evaluate UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) digital tools. The free Adobe XD starter plan lets you design digital features that maximize the impact of touch points along the buyer’s journey, after-sale service experience and other customer service experiences that you’d like to enhance. Think carefully about how much digital interaction your prospects and clients will appreciate and strike a balance between digital and human communication.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Commodities traders at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (founded in 1874)