Stop selling things right now
There are people in B2B sales who think their job is to sell things to business. Things like software packages or products that solve business challenges. It’s an easy mistake to make, because for a long time B2B marketing strategy focussed on the technical side of products. Too often, B2B salespeople talk about specifications and numbers. But no matter where they are on the buyer’s journey, your prospects can find out these details for themselves.
In fact, they probably have.
The reality is that nobody buys just things anymore. So, instead of repeating facts, you and your team need to be telling stories. What business customers want are solutions from people and organizations they trust.
What stories do
Stories connect people. Stories inspire and convince. They also inform and persuade. All this means that great storytelling is critical. For example, a great business origin story doesn’t just tell a customer about when or how your business started, it tells people why you are in business, why you chose your career, or why you believe in the service you provide. This tells your customers a lot about your passion and commitment, and helps build confidence and trust.
That’s important, because building trust is probably the most important thing you can do to succeed in B2B sales.
Great storytelling helps you weave complex details about your product or service into a simple, persuasive narrative. A clear story about what you are selling goes beyond data and numbers. It lets customers understand not only how, but also why your product or service will work for them.
Finally, well-crafted case studies and customer success stories let prospects see examples of how your solution has worked for other businesses. This can make the difference between a sale and a rejection.
Tapping into emotions
While it is easier to spot examples of storytelling in B2C marketing, there’s no doubt that effective storytelling for business works, especially in the world of B2B. This means that now more than ever, selling technical products and services requires people who can tell stories that connect people to solutions.
Specifications and parameters still matter, but the new model puts the focus on your customer. This means you need to change the whole conversation when it comes to B2B sales. Interactions need to get personal, which means you need to move critical soft skills like active listening and empathy to the front.
The goal is to understand another person’s pain points and build an authentic connection with the person on the other end of the phone. To be effective today, B2B sales professionals need to go beyond data and numbers and build rapport. Research by Google has found that B2B customers are more emotionally attached to their solutions providers than customers are to brands in the everyday world of B2C.
Upskill your storytelling
Are you ready to take your B2B storytelling to the next level?
There are hundreds of resources available online that can help you learn what it takes to tell a great story. But maybe the best way to learn about effective storytelling for business is to register for an upskilling program like SalesCamp from Palette Skills. SalesCamp is a 6-week hands-on, live and online upskilling bootcamp designed to give you all the skills you need to succeed in a B2B sales career.
And that could be the beginning of a beautiful new story!
