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B2B Friday: Last one in Q3

Posted by Trish Bertuzzi on Fri, Sep 25, 2009 @ 08:30 AM
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It's the final Friday of Q3. Good selling to everyone out there working hard to bring in business.

Now on to our B2B Thoughts...
 

B2B Thought #1: Ch-ch-changes in the seller/buyer relationship

In Nailing Down Evidence That the Nature of the B2B Buyer Has Changed, Adam Needles share his thoughts around the fundamental changes in the B2B buyer/seller relationship. Adam argues that:

Buyers increasingly set the ground rules on when and where they will engage. Buyers also increasingly turn to trusted third parties for education, not sales people … whom they engage as an almost final stage in their process. This means B2B marketers must focus heavily on ‘getting found,’ nurturing prospects and managing pre-sales buyer dialogue.

This is a critical re-framing of the B2B buyer/seller relationship. Much has been written about how sales and marketing strategy is evolving — becoming more sophisticated via CRM and marketing automation. Yet this is not an asynchronous evolution, and buyers are setting the pace … and getting ahead of sales and marketing organizations.

Matt here: Adam goes on to lay out evidence in the following areas:

  • Buyers turning to online sources
  • Increased leveraging of social media
  • A multi-channel buying process
  • The rise of the savvry buying unit

It's a very good read, and the first attempt (I've seen) to show hard data around the changing buyer/seller relationship. I am really interested in what you think!
 

B2B Thought #2: The magic of the not-to-do list

Gerhard Gschwandtner of Selling Power wrote a great piece this week on 15 Things Salespeople And Sales Managers Should Put On Their Not-To-Do List. Here is his thought process:

Think of your to-do list. It takes a lot of work to get things done. Chances are that you are starting the day with 7-10 major action items, and you are lucky if you are able to cross off the first three items by the end of the day. Start a fresh to-do list every day. Don't agonize, prioritize.

The not-to-do list doesn't change every day. This list doesn't take more work on your part; it creates less work for you. It helps you recognize new patterns. It helps you prevent self-defeating actions. Like Michelangelo chipped away all the unnecessary marble from a gigantic block to create a masterpiece, your not-to-do list will bring out the best in you.

Trish here: great advice. There are 15 tips in each category and I have selected my favorite 5 from each.

5 things salespeople should have on their daily not-to-do list:

  • Don't waste time chasing unprofitable leads.
  • Don't pretend to listen; stay focused.
  • Don't talk about features without explaining the benefits.
  • Don't quote price before establishing value.
  • Don't lie; build trust.

5 things sales managers should have on their daily not-to-do list:

  • Don't make hiring decisions based on your gut instincts alone.
  • Don't slip back into the role of the super-salesperson.
  • Don't resist change, embrace it.
  • Don't reject technology because you don't understand it.
  • Don't think that your sales process is perfect; it needs to be renovated all the time.

Great list, huh? But now let's turn the tables around and we want to hear from you. What are your top 2 things you want your sales reps or sales manager to think about on a daily basis?

What should a "To Do" list look like?  Thanks for reading. I'm looking forward to your thoughts!

(Photo credit: Tim Yates)

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COMMENTS

Great post Trish. Happy Friday everyone! 
In answering the question on "To Do" lists, here is my 2 cents.(as I find myself updating sf.com on a friday morning!) 
I think the 2 most important "to do" items for any sales rep aside from having a daily list is: 
-Do focus on closing sequences(don't waste time on administrative tasks,checking email,etc) 
-Do focus on prospecting at least 1-2 hrs a day minimum, Friday afternoons are great for this since people are in a good mood and sitting at their desks waiting for their spouse to call about weekend plans :)

posted @ Friday, September 25, 2009 10:10 AM by Brian Karbel

Hi, Trish. 
 
 
 
First, thanks for the call-out. I've felt for a long time -- at a gut level and observations over my marketing career -- that this change is happening, but it bothered me that there did not seem to be more data. As it turns out, the data just needs to be un-earthed, but there is plenty of it, which is why I wanted to share these insights, and I'm glad that you have shared my post with your readers. 
 
 
 
Second, glad to have your blog site on my radar, now. Look forward to reading your insights over the coming weeks/months.

posted @ Friday, September 25, 2009 4:18 PM by Adam Needles

Hi! 
 
Congratulations! Your readers have submitted and voted for your blog at The Daily Reviewer. We compiled an exclusive list of the Top 100 sales Blogs, and we are glad to let you know that your blog was included! You can see it at http://thedailyreviewer.com/top/sales/2 
 
You can claim your Top 100 Blogs Award here : http://thedailyreviewer.com/pages/badges/sales 
 
P.S. This is a one-time notice to let you know your blog was included in one of our Top 100 Blog categories. You might get notices if you are listed in two or more categories. 
 
P.P.S. If for some reason you want your blog removed from our list, just send an email to angelina@thedailyreviewer.com with the subject line "REMOVE" and the link to your blog in the body of the message. 
 
Cheers! 
 
Angelina Mizaki 
Selection Committee President 
The Daily Reviewer 
http://thedailyreviewer.com

posted @ Monday, September 28, 2009 12:27 AM by The Daily Reviewer

Great post!  
 
I love "5 things sales managers should have on their daily not-to-do list."

posted @ Tuesday, September 29, 2009 4:47 PM by Dave Stein

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