I've always been afraid of B2B sales. Until these 6 principles got our SaaS to $6K ARR in 2 months:
1. Treat people as people
Even when their website is ugly and they don't have social profiles, these are still real humans. Your B2B outreach doesn't have to be dull and robotic. Be enthusiastic in your messages by adding "!" and 🙂 when appropriate. Always leave them happier than you found them.
2. Find a backdoor
Be creative. You won't get inside the club when there are 1000 people in the queue. Make a gift to a promoter. Become friends with a bouncer. Extraordinary results require an extraordinary approach.
3. Never sell in your first message
You hate pushy salesmen. You don't have to become one to close a sale. Wondering what's the difference between pushy salesmen and experts? Experts never sell until they know it's the best fit. The bigger their organization - the more strategic you should be. Start conversations with short personalized open questions:
"Hey, Jeremy! Just read your article on UX tips. How often do you write for your blog?"
4. Write again (and again)
8/10 people never follow up. 8/10 people never close a sale. Make a list of 200 companies that fit your ideal customer profile. Keep reaching out to them until you get 200 replies. It's that simple. Test different people, channels, and messages. Even if you're selling to the FBI - one day you'll get a reply.
5. Put them first
Show you care. It's so rare to talk to people who are genuinely interested. And it works. Treat your sales process as research. It's the easiest way to overcome your mental blocks. Dig into their situation, understand it in detail and offer your thing when they'll benefit.
6. Help, don't sell
Show up as an expert. Point where they're losing money and help them make more. Not everyone will buy your product. Surprisingly, not everyone should. You want to find the best choice for every company you speak with. Sometimes it's not you. It takes courage to introduce them to an alternative solution. But this courage wins you 5 referrals in the long game.
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Love your content Denis 👍🏽
Thanks! ^^
+1 on point 6. "Helpm don't sell" being crucial.
Today I actually met a salesman in a hardware store who recommended another company's product in parallell with theirs. He gained my trust and I bought from him!
Wow! It works perfectly!)
Loved this: "Dig into their situation, understand it in detail and offer your thing when they'll benefit."
I was talking to my old grad school advisor the other day, and he was talking about the necessity of understanding the problem extremely well. I see this sentiment echoed in your language. Dig in --> Flesh out your understanding by getting into all the pertinent details --> Offer real solutions that address the real problem.
Awesome stuff as always, Denis! Thanks!
Love that it resonated, Brandon :)
Nice post Denis. Congrats on the growth :-)
Point 6 is absolutely critical. If I could add something to make it even more effective it would be show up as an expert with something new and different to say. This gives you a unique position in the market and, if that new perspective can be tied back to your products then even better.
Yes, it's great when people learn from you in your first meeting. Thanks!