4 Things B2B Sellers Can Steal From B2C

B2B and B2C aren't as different as you might think.

Good Morning! It’s Halloween, the only day of the year when people don’t get mad at you for knocking on their front door. This year we’ll be dressing up like door-to-door sales rep’s and seeing how many meetings we can schedule with our neighbors. Never miss an opportunity to close a deal. 😄 

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4 Things B2B Sellers Can Steal From B2C

The way that B2B buyers make purchases is changing faster than you can say ‘ihopeyou’redoingwell!’.

The internet, social media, and AI are all changing the way that we sell.

And the truth is… no one has mastered these channels better than B2C companies.

B2C sales is usually seen as completely different than B2B, but the two are becoming more and more alike every day.

After all, we both sell to people.

So today, we’re breaking down 4 things B2B salespeople can steal from B2C.

1. Embrace Self-Education

The internet has democratized knowledge. 

By the time you talk to a buyer, chances are, they’ve already done their own self-educating.

This means they’ve likely looked up your company, understand what your product is, and know who your competitors are. They're not relying on you for all the info anymore.

So, what's a savvy B2B salesperson to do? Understand where they're at.

Don't waste time explaining things they already know. It's like trying to teach an IT director how to turn on a computer – you'll just end up looking silly and wasting everyone's time.

Instead, use this to your advantage. Ask them what they've learned so far. Fill in the gaps. Be the expert who can answer the questions Google can't.

2. Go Multi-Channel

The biggest and best B2C companies reach their customers everywhere they’re at.

TV, social, snail mail, email, text, etc…. You name it, they’re probably there. And B2B is slowly catching up.

The days of B2B buyers being reachable through only email and phone are over.

Just like you, they're all over the internet and social platforms. So you need to meet them there.

  • Add LinkedIn or social media messages to your outreach.

  • Engage with their posts or find the content they're interacting with.

  • Slide into their DMs (professionally, of course).

The more touchpoints you have, the more chances you have to start a conversation and close the deal. It's like playing sales whack-a-mole – the more places you show up, the more likely you are to make contact.

3. Make Buying Easy

B2C companies are the kings and queens of seamless buying.

One-click checkout? That's table stakes these days.

Your job as a B2B seller is to take as much friction out of the buying process as possible. This could mean:

  • Putting together the decks or info your buyer needs to sell internally

  • Laying out clear next steps in the sales process

  • Getting out of the way when someone's ready to buy

Remember, as buyers become more self-educated, they’re often ready to sign on the dotted line sooner than you think.

When this happens, drop the scripted discovery questions, and let them buy!

4. People > Logos

Sure, it's cool to say you sold to Google. But guess what? Google didn't buy from you – people at Google did.

Whether it's B2C or B2B, at the end of the day, we sell to people.

This is why relationship-based selling is so powerful.

To sell to a company, you need to get to know the people there and what makes them tick. Try switching your pitch from what your product can do for the company, to what it will specifically do to help your prospect or make their life easier.

Remember, everyone's favorite subject is themselves. Use that to your advantage.

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