Social technologies, which have permanently changed consumer buying habits, have begun to influence B2B buying as well. Prospects compare prices online, use professional and social networks to get third-party opinions and reviews of the vendors and learn almost everything there is to know about the vendor before an engagement begins. That knowledge raises the bar for everything that follows, including face-to-face interactions that determine the complex solution sale, according to a blog post by John Golden.

Fortunately, salespeople have ample opportunity to get intelligent information on prospects—not only from traditional database sources but also from social sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

But with expectations higher than ever and so much information available, how can you leverage that information? Remember these sales 2.0 tips:

• Filter all of the information available about the prospect to get to what is actually relevant to the sale. Don't confuse quantity for quality.
• Use every interaction with prospects—phone, email, tweet or face-to-face meeting—to demonstrate that you are using the information you have about them to create value and align your offerings with their business issues and drivers.
• Make sure all communications are clear and concise. With so much information noise, buyers appreciate brevity.
• Be open and transparent. Respect that your prospects find out nearly anything they want about you. Don't waste their time.

The Po!nt: We all struggle to find clarity amid the noise of 24/7 information flow. By using that information to create concise, business-aligned communications, you can cut through the noise and stand out from the crowd.

→ end article preview
Read the Full Article