Why Providing Value is crucial in Complex B2B Sales

I’ve been reading the book Spin Selling by Neil Rackham, which I highly recommend for those involved with selling larger deals with long sales cycles. One paragraph stuck out to me today that I’d like to write about: “It’s in the nature of major sales that needs aren’t instant. They develop slowly and sometimes painfully. Major sales require special selling skills to help this process of needs development–and these skills represent some of the most crucial differences between success in small sales and in large.”

This little excerpt touches on one key observation that I’ve made in my last 6 months in sales–using tricks and cheap tactics to sell a big solution does not work and only serves to push away the customer. Another reason this stuck out to me is that, when selling complex software, the need might not be apparent at first for the prospect, it is something you can creat through educating and challenging the approach of their business.

Selling complex solutions is not pushing a solution on some one’s business for the sake of making more money and reaching targets, but actually providing value to a business. If you act like you’re there to provide value to the company’s macro-goals, without seeming pushy or needy, prospects are more likely to talk to you.

Another book that touches on this is The Challenger Sale by Brent Adamson and Matthew Dickson: The Challenger Sale, a book by Brent Adamson and Matthew Dixon, emphasizes the importance of educating prospects as a key part of the sales process. It turns out prospects want to be educated and challenged. They are more likely to give you their time if they feel like their getting good insights on how optimize their processes from you, and if your solution solves a key pain, then advancing the sale to the next step is even easier. By challenging the prospect with a fresh perspective, without coming off as arrogant, the salesperson can create a sense of urgency and demonstrate their value in a way that goes beyond simply providing information.

A study conducted by RAIN Group, a global sales training and consulting firm, found that a consultative sales approach is particularly important for larger and more complex B2B deals. According to their research, companies that use a consultative approach achieve 69% larger deal sizes and 27% higher win rates than those that don't. The study also found that customers who engage with salespeople using a consultative approach are 62% more likely to make a purchase and 82% more likely to recommend the company to others. This highlights the importance of building strong relationships with customers, understanding their unique needs and challenges, and providing them with tailored solutions that meet their specific requirements.

As a salesperson you’re always battling the stereotypes that are associated with salespeople–pushy, sleazy, and not providing any value. Therefore, I’ve always found it essential to embrace an approach that is not typical of most sellers. Acting more like a business partner or a consultant can go miles in allowing the prospect to trust and conduct business with you. Closing a sale complex sales rarely comes after a call, it’s about a series of calls that can help the prospect truly understand the value of a business relationship and the use of whatever product your selling.