How to win sales is, of course, a huge topic with a ton of answers. That said, we can get a better idea of what to do more of – by looking at what top sellers are doing differently.
While we’ve previously talked about what top performing sales teams do differently, there is another aspect to take into consideration. Namely what the individual sales winners do that the competition do not, and that was in focus for RAIN Group in their recent report.
For this report, titled What Sales Winners Do Differently, they went through more than 700 B2B opportunities and looked at what the sellers who won their sale actually did differently. Finding three separate levels of behaviors and results that separated sales winners from those who came in second:
1. Connecting
Connection is the key word for the first level, where sales winners both connected with the actual people they were selling to – and connected the needs of their buyer to the services or products they were selling. In addition, sales winners showed that they comprehended the needs of their customer a whopping 2,5 times more than those who did not win the sale, underlining the importance of connecting and understanding.
However, RAIN Group also noted that this is no longer enough, explaining that while “connecting used to be the crux of winning sales. Now it’s the price of entry.” In other words, it’s a necessary first step, but is not enough to ensure a deal will be closed.
2. Convincing
On level two, the sales winners convince the buyer that they are the right choice. Which sounds rather straightforward, but includes showing that they can deliver, that the result will be worthwhile and that any risks involved are minimal and can be accepted. The latter can be a challenge, and RAIN Group found a number of factors that can help the customer feel better and safer with their purchase, including:
- A trustworthy seller
- A seller that helps customers avoid pitfalls
- A professional seller
- A seller that explains the buying process correctly.
RAIN Group further explained that “winners were more than twice as likely to create the perception that the overall value they offered was superior”. Which can mean that the sales winners, on this level, manage to properly show why their solution/product is the best choice, making it probable that the customer will choose them over their competitors.
3. Collaborating
The third level is an interesting one, as it involves collaboration – something that may not be as instinctively related to selling. Nevertheless, RAIN Group’s report showed that this collaboration is actually key, and is achieved in two separate ways. First, sales winners “collaborate through behavior”, which is to say that sellers are seen as collaborating in the way they act and by being proactive and responsive. Second, buyers see these sellers as actually working with them, collaborating for the sake of a common goal. With this, the seller becomes essential to the buyer; a partner they work with in order to reach a goal. Which can be a driving force for demand.
Connected to this, the report also noted the importance of educating the buyer “with new ideas and perspectives”. Which can further strengthen the sense of collaboration and form a stronger bond between buyer and seller. Something that a mere 21,5 % of purchasers thought that sales winners did, while only 7,4 % thought the same about the sellers who lost the deal. Indicating that there is room for improvement and that could, potentially, create a strong competitive advantage and help sellers win even more sales.
While there are many answers and ideas on how to win sales, looking at what sales winners do can give a good idea of the things sellers should do more of. Where it can be a good idea to look over how to best connect, convince and collaborate – in order to gain a competitive advantage that can prove vital for a sustained success moving forward.
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