Marketing your business to other businesses is a vastly different animal than targeting individual consumers. Other companies know more about how business is done than the average consumer, and they are more likely to track down your competition to see if they can get a better rate. What’s more, B2B sales is growing as an industry, so now is a great time to get in on the action.
There is a lot of competition in the B2B marketplace today, so you need to work hard to earn a reputation for excellence in your field. You might be dealing with businesses that have been using one particular vendor for a decade or longer. In order to gain a foothold in the marketplace, you will first need to create credibility amongst the businesses that you hope to partner with.
Develop a Consistent Message
It is important that you not tell one business one thing, only to then provide a different pitch to the next company down the road. You need to be consistent in your message. Businesses talk to one another. They want to know that what you say you will deliver is exactly what you will do in the end. Focus on demonstrating what you will do differently than your competition and why you are worthy of their business as a result. Show your ability to solve problems effectively in a productive manner that will be mutually beneficial to all parties involved.
Discover Key Businesses That Can Help You Grow
It is not a wise use of your time to try to market to every business in your field. You need to do some research on the front end in order to identify those companies that are most likely to help you achieve your growth oriented targets. If you want to have strong results, then you need to perform your own form of discovery. Ask the questions that you need to determine what businesses are best for you and will be the best use of your time moving forward. Offer a competitive price for the services that you provide, and then move on from there.
Maintain a Valid Certificate of Insurance
As a business owner, it is always important to maintain proper licenses and registrations. This goes for any field, as it essential that you show a willingness to abide by industry regulations. At the same time, businesses that you work with will want to know that you are properly insured.
In the litigious society that we all live under today, this is more important than ever before. During your presentation, you will want to display your certificates of insurance and make sure that they are up to date. You need to make sure that you are properly insured to not only protect yourself, but to protect the companies that you do business with as well.
Set up an Online Sales Platform
E-commerce is no longer unique to the world of individual sales sites like ebay and B2C companies like Amazon. In fact, research is beginning to show that more and more B2B buyers prefer to do their business online as well. Whether it be simple networking on LinkedIn to find more contacts, doing outreach via email, or actually closing a sale and processing payment, the internet is going to be a key player in your success with B2B sales. Showing potential buyers that you have embraced technology, and providing them with a convenient, online sales platform could do more to enhance your credibility than anything else.
Prove Yourself
If you want to drive more B2B sales your way, you must first be willing to prove yourself. This means that you might need to take on smaller orders than you would normally like just to build up that solid reputation within the field that others are looking for. Prove to the companies you want to do business that you are worthy of their patronage. Gather up references and do not be afraid to provide a few of yours as well. This is how you will gain the respect of those in the business community, and this will result in sustained growth for the long term.
While there are certainly other ways of developing credibility within your field, these four tips will help drive B2B sales for you. That is the key. You want to generate a consistent stream of growth so that you can begin to demonstrate to others that you are serious about doing business with them. If you can do that, you will earn the type of positive reputation that is necessary to increase revenue and profitability over time.