When a sales representative from one business sells to another business, as opposed to an individual, there are several key differences to the selling process.

When selling to a business, it is vital to know who the key decision maker is within that business. This decision maker may be an individual, or in the case of a company’s board, a group of people. The greatest mistake a salesperson can make is to spend all of their time selling themselves and their product to a person within the business, who has very little input into the actual decision.

If this is the case, then the real decision maker will make a decision without having met the salesperson, meaning they will probably decide on the written proposals alone. This significantly reduces the ability of the salesperson to influence the decision.

Because of the size and complexity of most B2B sales, once the key decision maker/s has been found, the salesperson must be prepared to spend time, and many visits, building a genuine relationship with them.

Building such a relationship with the key decision maker enhances a salespersons prospects of obtaining their business. Do not be blinded however, as depending upon the position the decision maker occupies within their business, there may be others that the salesperson needs to build a relationship with in addition to the decision maker. These are known as decision influencers.

For example, the personal assistant may be crucial to the decision maker’s daily activities. It is therefore essential that you also build a relationship with that personal assistant.

The B2B salesperson must portray a professional image at all times. Being professional means you must obtain as much information as possible by asking the right questions. The questions you should be asking include;

1. “Who makes the final decision regarding this proposal?”
2. “Does anyone else have any input into the decision?”
3. “What is your time-frame for placing an order?”
4. “Do you have all the information you need to make a decision now?”
5. “What else can I do to get your business?”

The salesperson may decide to bring some further expertise with them on one of their visits to the prospect business. This may involve a technical expert, or the Managing Director from the salesperson’s own business. This shows your prospect that you take them very seriously and are prepared to cover all aspects of their concerns or queries.

In conclusion, selling to a business involves a more professional approach, extensive relationship building, and far more strategy than selling to an individual.