To successfully build rapport with all buyer stakeholders can oftentimes feel like an uphill struggle. Especially when more and more stakeholders are involved in B2B buying processes and sales professionals need to figure out how to manage a larger group.
Complex B2B purchases tend to involve at least 11 people on the buyer’s side. As you probably know, this makes a seller’s job way more difficult. They will now have to build rapport with more buyer stakeholders and grow multiple relationships over a long period of time. Something that is easier said than done.
The question, then, is how you can go about connecting with everyone involved on the buyer’s side.
Build rapport with buyer stakeholders
1. Keep your message consistent and converting
If you are to start building a connection with individual stakeholders, you’ll need to make sure that they get a product message that’s actually consistent. Otherwise, they may very well lose trust and feel that you don’t really value them and their needs. In other words, what you communicate to your stakeholders matters and the trick will be to:
- Make sure you share the same product message no matter the stakeholders or channel
- Make sure the message you share actually cuts through the noise and gets your stakeholders’ interest
2. Keep track of everyone
Nothing prevents a connection like forgetting about a stakeholder, or not noticing that they’ve gotten involved in the processs. I.e. you’ll need to keep track of all buyer stakeholders, including the ones who join after the process is started. Something that is now more a rule than an exception: in G2s recent study, 71 % of respondents said that additional stakeholders are usually added as the sales process moves forward.
3. Keep everyone informed
To build rapport with buyer stakeholders, you need to address their concerns and answer every question they have. This also means that you need to actually see and keep track of the questions that have been asked and make sure to answer each one. By doing that, you can ensure that every stakeholders feels heard and gets the answers they need to make a decision.
4. Keep everyone engaged
By continously sharing relevant content that is suited for individual stakeholders, you can build a connection and keep their engagement throughout the whole process. That way, you will have a better chance of maintaining sales momentum, show that you understand individual buyer stakeholders and that your product can address their individual pains.
Build rapport with buyer stakeholders – and earn their cheer
With these steps, you can have an easier time building rapport with buyer stakeholders and creating a real connection with each one. If you want to take it one step further, platforms with buyer enablement capabilities can help make this whole thing easier. Like SP_CE, that offers you a way to:
- Make sure your message gets through to each stakeholder
- Give everyone a shared, interactive space, where they can raise questions and where you can address everyone in both text and video messages
- Share relevant content for each stakeholder, at any point in the process and with full traceability
- See new stakeholders as they get invited into the process and catch them up on the progress so far
With SP_CE, you can have an easier time building rapport with every stakeholders, and earn their advocacy and cheer throughout the sales process. The result? You can have a better chance winning the sale and tie your deal together in a shorter time frame.
Are you curious about buyer enablement or do you want to see how SP_CE can help you build rapport with all stakeholders? Contact our sales team or read more about buyer enablement platforms here.
