If the sales side of things was not previously your bag – the idea of going after big business sales can feel out of your league. I’m here to tell you that closing big deals is not rocket science. You had the courage to start your own business – you can close big deals.

Is selling B2B really that different from selling to a consumer? Some things are common across all types of selling – but there are also some differences. So what are the key differences between B2B Sales and B2C Sales and why does it matter?  

One of the most common things I hear people say when they start selling is ‘I hate cold calling!’. I can’t say I blame them.  Who wants to call someone that doesn’t know you or want to speak with you, and interrupt their day? More to the point – why is anyone still trying to do this anyway?

We are well into 2024 now. How is your B2B Sales Strategy going?

I thought it would help reduce some of your stress if I gave you a simple checklist of things to ensure you include in your B2B sales plan, to keep you on track ane ensure you have a great 2024.

Are you excited about 2024? Keen to get started on trying a bunch of new things to build your B2B sales? One of the things that we all do when fired up about new adventures, is that we can forget the basics. If we get the basics right, everything works better. Now is a great time to take stock and remind ourselves of the very basics of B2B selling, so that we have an awesome launch pad to grow from. So what are the basics?

Having the bulk of our meetings on a video call is now the norm. But that doesn’t mean that in-person meetings have dissappeared completely from B2B sales. The challenge is - many of us are out of practice. How do we get our confidence back with in-person meetings?

Are you starting to get the dreaded “let’s leave it until the New Year” from prospects? The world might wind down for Christmas, but if you are running a business that relies on B2B sales, you don't want to let things wind so far down, that you can't get back again. So how do you keep things going through the Silly Season?

Do you get a nervous feeling when you think about making outbound calls, or going to a sales meeting? Many people do. Nervousness about selling can hold you from building your business, because you will unconsciously find ways to avoid things that make you uncomfortable.

What has sales got to do with creativity you ask?

Creativity can be a super power in sales – if we use it wisely.

The word authenticity gets bandied around a lot these days. It’s an important one to us - in fact central to what we do. So what does it mean as a salesperson to be authentic?

The first 30 to 90 days of any customer relationship are crucial. They not only set the tone for your relationship with your customer - but are also when you get the best feedback on your solution, and when you get the best chance to ensure your customer is implementing your solution well.

The Secrete to Proactive Outreach.

When taking care of our existing customers – we often know that we want to have a program of proactive outreach in place. However – how do we fit it all in? How do we give our customers the attention and service they need and deserve, with our limited resources? The secret is simple. We need to segment our customer base, so that we can allocate more of our time to the customers that need it.

I was asked the question the other day, what is an appropriate amount of time to leave before following up on an email with a call. I found it an interesting question, one that I had not thought about so often previously, as it had become second nature to me. So what is the answer?  

When we are starting out in anything new, there is a lot to learn. This is true for selling as much as it is for anything else. That’s why when I go into a meeting, or when I jump on a call, I love a good cheat sheet.

Selling large higher priced solutions can be very different from buying smaller, transactional items. One of the reasons for this is that the higher the price tag, the bigger the decision for the buyer. Size does matter.

We often talk about the challenges for founders, in particular founders of For Purpose organisations and social enterprises. Perhaps the most important factor in starting an impact focused organisation, is the least talked about. Courage.

A common challenge for business-to-business salespeople selling large complex solutions is to know how to talk about pricing. Sometimes, even knowing what price to give for your service can be tricky. In this sales challenge, we’ll look at some key ideas to help you feel comfortable and confident when talking about pricing when selling B2B.

In business there are a lot of terms that get thrown around. People often talk about Bottom-Up forecasting, or Top Down planning. What’s the difference - and which is better?

In-person vs Zoom vs Phone vs Email: What is the best way to contact customers? Those out there selling digital solutions would have you believe that you can reach more prospects by using digital communication. Why travel when you can Zoom? Why have an hour meeting when you can have a 5 min phone call? It does make a difference.

This is a question that I think a lot of us ponder, but we often are not clear on the answer to. Let’s take a look at the main differences between Sales & Marketing, so that we can understand how to approach them differently.