Client Onboarding Checklist: Steps, Templates & Best Practices
B2B sales have changed, so your sales strategies must too. Research shows that 71% of the time, sales forecasts are wrong for companies that don't define and follow a sales process.
You need a clear sales strategy for two key reasons:
Today, you need the right data, tools, and strategy to connect with prospects and gain their trust.
If you're looking for the most effective sales techniques, then you're at the right place. This guide will show you seven powerful sales techniques that help you close more deals. We'll also look at some effective methods of presenting your sales pitch.
A sales technique is a process used to generate revenue and sell more successfully. Sales techniques can be based on psychological principles, such as building trust and rapport with the customer, using persuasive language and appealing to the customer's emotions.
When it comes to sales techniques, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, most professionals may spend decades honing their sales approach.
Whatever sales technique you land on will depend on factors such as current market trends, the prospect's actions and behaviors, position in the sales pipeline, etc.
Note that a sales process and a sales technique are entirely different. A sales process guides sales reps through the selling journey to the final transaction. It encompasses the entire sales cycle.
However, a sales technique concentrates on one part of the sales process and builds unique ways based on your firm's values, culture and goals. It's a selling approach, not a system.
If you're a B2B salesperson, you may have heard of a few sales techniques, such as SNAP, the Sandler Sales technique, or Consultative selling. Let's dig deeper into these sales techniques and how they can help your brand.
The Sandler sales approach centers on finding compatible items for each consumer. It varies from other sales approaches, which focus on selling the maximum amount of product.
The Sandler sales method aims to build a trusting relationship between the salesperson and the customer, boosting customer attraction and retention.
Here’s how it works:
The Sandler sales strategy can help firms reach their sales goals and promote their values and mission by offering customers sales support.
Solution selling is a more empathic approach to sales than the more traditional “product selling.” With solution selling, you identify a prospect’s pain point and then sell products and services that target the prospect’s pain.
Instead of trying to force products on consumers, solution sellers identify problems and offer specific remedies.
Solution selling involves three major steps:
Stories have a powerful influence on our actions and thoughts. They are also easy to remember and relate to, making them practical sales tools.
When discussing complex or challenging subjects, a well-timed and well-told tale can come in handy. Firstly, it makes your prospects imagine how your product or service can solve their problem or make their lives easier.
In addition, a compelling story can make a presentation appealing enough and inspire prospects to take action. Take advantage of Visme’s icons, stock photos, and videos to make your story or pitch more captivating.
Make sure to include storytelling in your sales pitch. That way, salespeople can engage prospects on a personal level and effectively convey their message.
The “Opening Play” is a phrase for starting a conversation with a prospect. It’s the initial 25 seconds of any sales conversation and entails how you want to engage the lead in a meaningful discussion.
The secret to an effective Opening Play is to describe your role in a single statement.
Replace your monologue with a single phrase describing who you are and what you do for clients.
After that, use your industry knowledge to show you grasp your prospects' primary challenges.
Finally, draw the prospect into a conversation that hits home by addressing their concerns.
A well-rehearsed, concise Opening Play is one of the most potent sales methods you can develop to complete more deals.
The acronym SNAP refers to the following four concepts: Simplicity, Value, Alignment and Priorities.
The point is to give potential customers helpful information that coincides with the products or services you want them to buy.
Most customers are bombarded with information from every angle and to top it off, the human attention span is getting shorter and shorter. So, your sales team needs to get to the heart of the potential buyer's issue.
With SNAP selling, the sales team needs to:
The SPIN approach uses questions to redirect potential customers to a good or service instead of outrightly advertising it.
SPIN stands for Situation, Problem, Implication, and Need-Payoff, which are the types of questions the sales team asks prospects.
So, how does it work?
Situation-related questions help sales teams to gain an understanding of a prospect's current circumstances. However, it doesn’t completely replace the need for a call or a meeting.
Problem questions go down to the crux of a prospect's problem.
Implication inquiries probe the prospect about the ramifications of not solving the challenge. For example, will it lead to a revenue loss? Increase in product cost? Etc.
Need-payoff questions have the prospect think about the best solutions to their problem. You could ask questions like:
Neurolinguistic programming is a powerful sales closing technique. It rests on the premise of developing emotional connections with buyers and influencing their purchase decisions.
Why is NLP important? The cold truth is that closing the deal takes more than saying a few words.
Factors like intonation, body language, and personality can influence a sale. These virtually undetectable signs all influence whether a consumer trusts you or thinks you're lying. They might not know why, but they feel it.
NLP pinpoints why buyers trust or distrust a company. So sit back, study your prospect’s subconscious behaviors, learn those magic words and use them to your advantage.
Here are some of the proven methods for presenting your sales pitch.
A demo call occurs when a sales representative contacts a prospect to discuss the features, capabilities, and value that a product or service provides.
Demo calls are proven strategies for closing deals quickly. A HubSpot research has revealed that 54% of potential customers want a product demo on the first call.
In addition to showcasing your product's qualities to your prospects, grasp their pain points and tailor the dialogue to their needs. This entices your prospect to buy or, at the very least, to continue the conversation.
For instance, Salesforce's Marketing Cloud features individual product demos for each feature. Each one emphasizes the usefulness of a particular feature.
Before hopping on a demo call with your prospect, ensure you:
Prepare a demo presentation using AI that captivates your prospect and elicits action using the template below.
Whiteboarding uses visual storytelling to engage your audience during a sales presentation.
Why invest in smart whiteboard tools?
Corporate visions conducted a study in 2020 and found that 43% of the participants believed whiteboards were more effective than traditional presentation slides.
Properly done sales whiteboarding can boost your pitch, increasing sales, revenue and sales commission.
Your sales whiteboard should contain a story and pitch, including charts, graphs, maps, widgets and other data visualization tools, just like any other meeting.
The difference is that your whiteboard, unlike regular PowerPoint slides, allows you to show off more information while presenting. This could contain hierarchy structures, competition, pricing points, product descriptions, graphs, maps, and interfaces.
Supercharge your sales pitch by tapping into our rich library of whiteboard templates. Use the whiteboard template below to keep your information structured and scannable.
“Cold outreach” means contacting potential customers unfamiliar with your company and its offerings. It's a proven and cost-effective technique to promote a product or service.
Cold outreach, notably cold email, is the most prevalent method of B2B interaction. Cold emails are the most effective cold outreach technique for prospecting because 80% of people prefer professionals to approach them via email.
You may have many ideas to pitch to your client and want to include as many as possible. However, a client presentation is not a one-way street. Two-way presentations will get you the results you need.
A two-way sales presentation is a discussion between a salesperson and a prospective client in which both parties have an opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions.
You want them to ask questions so you can respond and highlight how your product can help. That's why your pitch must include only your best ideas.
Your speech should exude confidence and your slides should be captivating like the one below.
Two-way presentations are unpredictable, and clients may challenge you about subjects you're unsure of. A lack of confidence will undercut even the best sales strategy. You should be able to answer any questions quickly and accurately.
When creating your presentation, be sure to keep it on brand. You can also use Visme’s Brand Wizard to automatically add your brand’s assets to your presentation.
Free trials and demos aren't new or revolutionary, but they're more important than ever.
A free trial is one of the few ways to let your software sell itself, just like any other SaaS marketing tool.Useproof reports that on average, 25% of free trial customers are converted into paying customers in the SaaS industry. Opt-out trial (requires a credit card before the trial starts) does even better with over 60% conversion rate.
So why are free trials so successful? It’s because they allow potential customers to test a product or service without spending any money. This helps them decide whether or not to buy it.
A case study in sales is any anecdote, evidence, or data showing how your product or service benefited a customer.
But case studies aren't about your business. Instead, the focus should always be on what your leads and clients get from doing business with you.
Some may find case studies uninteresting, yet they're essential to any B2B company's content marketing strategy. According to a survey by eMarketer, 62.6% of respondents said case studies generate leads effectively.
Case studies are indispensable for proving quality and utility. They show how you helped others achieve their goals. They'll attract clients because they instill faith in your goods or services.
This Amazon Case Study is a perfect example for sales managers with repeat customers. You can share different ways your product helped the client solve different problems.
Visme's Dynamic Fields enable you to easily update information across multiple case studies.
Sharing a video is a terrific method to educate people about your products and services, tell your company story, and establish audience connections.
With so many video types to select from, like a product walkthrough or an animated explanation, there's no excuse not to experiment with video. About 81% of marketers believe video positively impacts sales.
Traditional video-making processes might be time-consuming, but Visme's video templates make it quick and easy to share and publish your videos. You’ll find videos for every industry and product in our template library.
Jumpstart your sales with this ready-to-go product video template below.
Ready to drive sales over the top. Here are 14 killer strategies you can use right away.
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Over 93% of human communication is non-verbal. And while some experts may disagree with those statistics, there’s no denying that sometimes what matters is how you say it, not what you say.
The tone you use to start a discussion, respond to a customer, or send an email affects your customers' buying decisions.
Sadly, there's no such thing as an ideal tone. In most conversations, your tone changes more often, depending on the topic and who you're talking to.
What worked at the start of the dialogue may not complete the deal.
The trick is to pay attention to your customer's words and body language and react accordingly.
Be honest. Would you rather sit in a one-hour sales pitch or one that takes 20 to 30 minutes?
Gone are the days when you could spend an hour on a sales proposal.
A prospect's time is one of their most precious commodities, and you won't have it for very long unless you can convince them to buy into your proposition.
Your sales tactic should be as concise, effective, and compelling as possible.
People buy things they want or need. If they can meet their needs without spending money, they will.
Know the customer's problem and how you intend to solve it before scheduling a call or appointment with them.
A good sales tip is to focus on benefits, not features.
Let's say the prospect requires a simple way to create beautiful content. You can explain to them that they can save up to 75% on cost and time by using Visme.
If your customers don't see how your product benefits them, you won't make any sales.
The only way to get customers to part with their cash is to convince them that your product will effectively address their problem.
This technique is used in customer service to provide extra value to customers and make them feel appreciated and satisfied.
And a simple way to go above and beyond your clients' demands is to deliver your goods or services faster than you promised.
Underpromising and overdelivering have several benefits.
First, early delivery pleases the customer, who will then speak positively of the organization. Second, the company has a built-in buffer if an issue arises and doesn't need to panic.
Limiting a prospect’s options is another great closing technique.
Even businesses struggle with making decisions, but limiting the available options simplifies decision-making.
Offer your client a selection of manageable offerings, each consisting of key features, goods, or services. The more straightforward you can be with the client, the better.
Sometimes, the easiest way to land a sale is to try something new.
Perhaps you’ve been using the same sales opening but you’ve not landed any sales for some reason. Why not switch your opening up to see if it’ll make a difference?
You could try storytelling techniques or any other sales openings, such as the buddy approach, the guru approach, SNAP selling and more.
If you normally go with traditional presentations, you can try something different and make your proposal interactive.
Prospective clients' needs vary. Therefore, you shouldn't use the same sales material and pitch for everyone.
Sometimes, clients may wish to use your service to improve a certain area of their business. Others may want to transform how they operate completely.
However, keep in mind that there is no such thing as a “perfect pitch.”
For example, a sales presentation that works well in one circumstance may backfire in another.
So more than anything, be adaptable.
Start by learning what customers value and what they require from a company. That way, you can align the presentation, pitch and proposal design with the client's brand. Thanks to Visme, salespeople can quickly and easily create and access personalized sales presentations.
Traditional sales presentations overrun and rarely allow space for the prospect to talk.
But your prospects' inquiries are the most critical. It's all about the prospect's priorities, not yours.
Keep speeches short and ask questions. You should let the prospect's inquiries determine the course of the conversation.
Most important is listening to your prospect and learning about their wants, concerns, and objections.
After sharing high-level concepts, ask, “What questions do you have about our solution?”
Encourage the prospect to ask questions so that you can direct the conversation and keep it on track to address their primary problems.
Sales professionals often make the mistake of not listening because they are too excited about making a deal.
But one of the best pieces of sales advice is to listen to prospects. Pay attention as if your livelihood depended on it.
The result? You’ll glean deeper insights into their pain points and what value means to them.
Feedback loops are an easy method to add value to your presentation and close more business.
During the meeting, don't give a one-way presentation where you just talk, and the prospect just sits there and listens.
Keep the dialogue rolling by requesting input. You'll learn how the prospect feels about your pitch if they grasp the facts and how likely you are to seal the deal.
Both positive and negative feedback help presenters know what to do next.
You can steer the conversation toward a successful conclusion using the right questions like:
It's natural for prospective customers to raise questions or reservations.
Objections can take many forms. Among the most frequent dispute points are those relating to price, timeliness, scope and outcome.
Bootstrapped businesses and larger firms with revenue challenges will be budget-sensitive; startups with investor support and good sales generally won't. Fast-growing companies may appreciate tighter deadlines over enterprise firms
You should anticipate these objections and have a plan for dealing with issues and clarifying any concerns. Before your presentation, research your customers and figure out what their objections may be.
Avoid dismissing their worries. Rather emphasize that you appreciate their perspective and explain how to plan to address their concern.
Customers will trust you more if you treat them like human beings. This could mean selling them what they want and not your most expensive product or going the extra mile for them when you can.
Let’s say you need to restock your paper inventory and have two vendors to choose from. Will you go with “Vendor A,” who wants to sell you their premium paper, or “Vendor B,” who knows you’ve been trying to be more eco-friendly, so they bring their A4 paper made from recyclable materials?
When people are open and honest with one another, they discover the kinds of things that help them become better business partners.
Customers are more likely to report issues, suggest ideas for future updates, and share creative uses of your products and services if they feel comfortable approaching you with their feedback.
The mark of a truly exceptional business is its attentiveness to and adoption of this kind of ongoing, spontaneous feedback.
According to the RAIN Group, about 58% of sales meetings are ineffective because sellers fail to deliver. These meetings often lack insight, ideas and most importantly, value.
Avoid wasting the first five minutes of a 30-minute Zoom sales call on small talk about the weather or the Titans' recent performance.
Your potential customers are likely to have full schedules and aren't interested in hearing your funny anecdotes or listening to you sing your company's praises. Instead, they are looking for value.
Start every conversation by focusing on the prospect, what they care about, and what they want from you.
Instead of stating, “I'll follow up with you on our next steps,” make those steps while you're still in the room.
If you are successful, complete the necessary documentation and provide the customer with the instructions needed to make the most of your products or services.
It is important to follow up with a client after a delivery or service to discover if there are any difficulties or concerns.
If you could not seal the deal during the initial meeting, it is essential to schedule a second one to continue developing the lead. In addition, you can track proposal metrics using Visme Analytics to see who has viewed your proposal.
Employing the right B2B sales technique is a must for any business. With the steps in this guide, you’re ready to implement a new sales technique and close more deals without limitations.
Visme has everything your sales team needs to produce proposals, presentations and sales materials that are interactive and engaging. Visme can help improve communication between your sales and marketing teams, supply them with the resources they need to produce content that converts, and ultimately increase your company's bottom line.
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