There is a tendency for b2b companies to focus upon the qualities that their customers look for in a product or service without taking any steps to ascertain what online retailers find most attractive in sales pitches.
The Harvard Business Review has published the results of a study that gets to the bottom of what customers expect from salespeople. Here are the top three items on the list.
1. Solution and Subject Matter Expertise
The most important characteristic that your sales staff should possess is knowledge about the product or service that they are trying to sell.
However many b2b companies underestimate the role of this quality. The researchers asked a number of vendors how it ranked in terms of importance to customers and the vendors put it in third place, demonstrating the fact that it is often undervalued.
2. Understanding of Customer’s Industry and Business
It is also essential for salespeople to have a strong understanding of what the business that they are targeting does.
Almost two fifths of customers reported being unhappy with vendors’ knowledge in this area, suggesting that it should be given a higher priority by b2b companies.
3. Professionalism
Customers expressed a desire for salespeople to act in a professional manner when attempting to make a sale.
Vendors reported believing that this was customers’ top priority, indicating that its importance is sometimes overestimated.
The Overall Message
The message that can be taken away from this study is that salespeople should not make assumptions about what ecommerce company managers are looking for. Instead, they should take steps to ascertain the managers’ likes and dislikes.
The research published by the Harvard Business Review can provide some pointers but ultimately, it is down to the vendors to determine what is expected of them and adapt their sales techniques accordingly.
