How to Sell Like a Pro: 6 Proven Sales Principles

In today’s B2B sales landscape, success hinges on a deep understanding of buyer behavior, including their psychological, demographic, and purchasing patterns. This data-driven approach allows businesses to pitch products and services more effectively.

However, the line between addressing genuine needs and creating perceived needs is increasingly blurred. Highly targeted marketing campaigns often inspire B2B buyers to seek solutions they didn’t realize they needed, sometimes sparking interest where urgency might be lacking.

This blog explores how to sell to two distinct types of B2B buyers: those already aware of their pain points and actively seeking solutions and those who may not have an immediate need for your offering but could benefit greatly from it.

Here is what we’ll cover:

• Understand Your Customer
• Know Your Product Inside and Out
• Perfect Your Sales Conversation
• Overcome Objections
• Follow Up and Nurture Relationships
• Leverage Tools to Simplify the Sales Process

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1. Understand Your Customer

With the availability of data online, crafting personalized sales outreach, sales pitches, and sales presentations has become easier than ever before. 

Craft an ICP 

Targeted sales outreach begins with understanding the commonalities between the companies that use your products and services. The assembly of these commonalities comprises an ideal customer profile. 

For example, Yesware’s ICP consists of for-profit organizations with revenues greater than $1M and a headcount of 25-100 employees. These businesses usually demonstrate the following signals:

• Hiring new sales team members.
• Securing a new round of capital.
• Appointing a new sales executive.  

Understand Core Motivations

Even once you have the ICP nailed down, the core motivations of various B2B buyers may vary. For example, one business might want to adopt Yesware to help their sales reps save time on manual outreach, while another business might want to make their prospecting more efficient. 

According to Trade Press Services, all B2B purchases come down to seven reasons:

1. Need
2. Fear
3. Acceptance
4. Financial gain
5. Aspiration
6. Avoidance of pain
7. Comfort and convenience

Here’s a useful infographic that lists some of the other common buying motives:

When pitching Yesware to companies whose sales teams are overburdened with manual processes, you can stress its automated email campaigns feature as a great way to solve the need for more effective sales strategy implementation. 

Yesware’s Prospector plays to the motivation for financial gains as it promises to boost marketing ROI by empowering sales and marketing professionals to avoid wasting time and money on leads who are a poor fit.

Collect Psychographic Data 

Understanding your B2B buyers doesn’t end with data about companies. When sending out cold emails or making cold sales calls, you can break the ice and engage in building rapport by leveraging unique information about your prospects that you gather from their social media pages, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram. 

For example, when pitching Yesware’s sales enablement platform to a B2B buyer in a startup sales scenario, a sales rep could begin by congratulating a prospect on a recently secured round of funding. 

Use the Power of Data to Generate Demand

Sometimes, sales reps can use the knowledge about prospective B2B buyers to convince them of the value of opting for a particular product or service. This is known as demand generation and is best described by Steve Jobs’s quote: “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” 

Gocious case study is a great example. Gocious knows that one of the common challenges manufacturers face is a need for unified portfolio management. By employing targeted LinkedIn Ads and emails directed at B2B buyers who show signs of needing a better alignment between departments (for example, hiring a Chief Product Officer), Gocious educates them on the value of road mapping software and convinces them to consider purchasing one.

Pro Tip: When sending our sales engagement materials, use Yesware’s attachment tracking to understand better what sections of your ebooks, demos, whitepapers, or case studies resonate the most with your prospects.

2. Know Your Product Inside and Out

You can’t effectively sell to B2B buyers if you’re unfamiliar with your product or service. Imagine that you are selling Learning A-Z products. As you can see, they have a wide range of solutions designed to complement teaching in different grades and different subjects. 

Each solution’s effectiveness is backed by studies and was developed with certain teaching philosophies in mind. 

As a sales rep, you should become an expert in all the unique selling propositions to do justice to Learning A-Z products. Being well-versed in social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies and being able to cite authoritative studies, such as Pellegrino and Hilton, 2012, will help you speak the same language with your B2B buyers: private and public school administrators.

Product knowledge doesn’t end with the features. Sales reps should also keep tabs on use cases to leverage social selling. For example, the Writing A-Z solution has a section titled “How Do Teachers Use Writing A–Z?”

When in a sales conversation with your B2B prospects, you can emphasize the solution’s flexibility: some educators prefer sequenced lesson plans, while others opt for choosing your own path structure.

Emphasizing the fact that Learning A-Z has a well-established community of users makes it easier for your prospects to convert because case studies prove the value of the solution and lure the prospects in with a promise of expanding their network of professional connections.

3. Perfect Your Sales Conversation

There are many ways to make sure your sales conversation wows your prospects. We’ll take a closer look at some of the most effective tactics below.

Sell Solutions, Not Features

When B2B buyers come to you, they probably don’t expect you to list the full list of your product’s features. In fact, according to research, B2B customers contact sales representatives when they already have a complete understanding of their requirements. 

Thus, your role as a sales rep is to demonstrate how the features of your product help solve the prospect’s pain points to give them that final push down the sales funnel to convert them into customers.

Here’s a useful infographic that explains the nuts and bolts of solution selling:

Let’s take a look at a practical example of adopting solution selling in real life.

For example, one of Yesware’s features is email templates. This feature has plenty of benefits:

• Enables sending out personalized email campaigns at scale.
• Saves time that was previously spent drafting an email for each prospect.
• Empowers collaboration between sales reps by facilitating the sharing of email templates.

Highlighting these benefits during a sales call constitutes the essence of solution selling.

Pro Tip: If you want to use Yesware’s email templates to create an automated email campaign, learn how to automate emails in Outlook or Gmail.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

People don’t like being pushed toward making a purchase. One way to avoid coming across as a pushy salesperson is to demonstrate a genuine interest in their needs and concerns. Open-ended questions are a great way to do just that. 

With open-ended questions, you hand the ownership over the flow of the sales conversation to your prospects, ensuring you both talk about what matters to them, not what you’ve practiced during a mock call. 

Here’s a useful infographic that differentiates between closed and open-ended sales questions:

As you can see, questions like “Is the current product working well for you?” can take the sales conversation in a direction you totally didn’t expect. That’s great because by staying open-minded, you can discover information to leverage in your future sales conversations. 

For example, the prospect might open up about their grievances about the product they are currently using, confirming your product’s competitive advantage. Or the prospect may explain what features of your product have caught their attention, giving you a better understanding of how to pitch your product effectively.

Be Human

One of the ways that can help you seem less like a sales professional and more like a casual interlocutor is to practice your body language during a mock call. For example, if you’re used to checking your notes, you should try to eliminate this habit by practicing with your sales buddy. Also, hone your active listening skills to make sure your prospects feel heard and understood.

Memorize all the notes you take in your pre-call planning sales template and go over the conversation several times to ensure all your points, tips, and recommendations sound natural and unforced, as if they come to you on the spur of the moment.

Another useful tip from the science of nonverbal selling is to maintain the ideal eye contact length of 7-10 seconds. 

Master the Art of Persuasion

While it’s unethical to use manipulation, such as deceiving your prospects about the benefits of your products or services, certain persuasive techniques can definitely help you close more deals. 

These techniques rely on mastering the knowledge of buyer behavior and leveraging sales psychology to convince sales-qualified prospects to convert. Some of these techniques are: 

• Adopting the Law of Reciprocity: When you offer something valuable to your prospects, for example, a link to a thought leadership article, they are more likely to listen to you and give your offer serious thought.
• Scarcity: Emphasizing the fact that your product or service is available to only a small number of B2B customers can encourage your prospects to pursue the deal, driven by the desire to join the circle of the “chosen few.”

Pro Tip: To learn more about sales psychology, grab our ebook below:

Psychology Principles + 13 Power Words for Winning SalesData-backed psychological principles, nonverbal cues, and persuasive phrases to win more deals.

EmailDownload PDF

Close Effectively

There is a range of sales-closing techniques, each of which comes with its set of sales-closing phrases. Depending on the type of B2B buyer you’re dealing with, you can pick the most effective approach from the ones below.

Direct closing phrases work best with decisive prospects on the verge of signing the contract. Here’s an example: “It looks like our solution addresses your key challenges. Are you ready to move forward with the purchase today?”

Assumptive closing is effective for prospects who may need a slight nudge to take the next step of the sales process. Here’s an example: “Great, so based on everything we’ve discussed, which delivery date works better for you?”

Urgency-based closing works best when you are running a sales promotion. Here’s an example: “Our special promotion ends tomorrow. If you sign up today, you’ll get a [X%] discount on your first year’s subscription, plus we’ll throw in our premium onboarding package at no extra cost. This package usually costs [$Y], but it would be complimentary for you.”

Value-driven closing helps your prospects make the final decision by visualizing the benefits of the solution. Here’s an example: “Imagine [time period] from now: you’ve implemented our [product/service]. You’re able to take on more clients. Are you ready to make this vision a reality?”

4. Overcome Objections 

It’s important for sales reps to exude confidence at all times. Sales objections are an example of a situation that can make anyone lose their balance. That’s why preparing in advance is essential. 

A handy strategy is to understand the main types of sales objections. Typically, they come from the following reasons:

• Lack of Budget: Objections that focus on the price.
• Lack of Trust: Objections that demonstrate a lack of trust.
• Lack of Need: Objections that question whether your product/service is right for the prospect.
• Lack of Urgency: Objections that stem from the prospect of not being ready to implement the solution yet.
• Lack of Authority: Objections that stem from the fact that the prospect doesn’t have the authority to make the decision.

Getting ready to handle the prospect’s objections comes in the form of researching best practices and preparing battle cards where you jot down notes that address each possible objection. 

According to Gong, you should discuss the price with your prospects either between 13 and 20 minutes into the sales call or between 40 and 49 minutes.

When preparing to handle budget and trust objections, come up with compelling case studies that demonstrate the ROI of your product or service. 

To overcome the lack of need, use open-ended questions to explore challenges that your prospects may not have considered. Also, offer insights about market trends or inefficiencies in your prospects’ current approach that your solution addresses.

If your prospect doesn’t see the immediate need for your solution or the consequences of delaying the decision, illustrate how early adoption can lead to competitive advantages or faster ROI.

In a situation when your prospect may not have the power to make purchasing decisions, or they may need to gain buy-in from other stakeholders, equip the prospect with case studies, ROI calculators, or presentation decks they can share with decision-makers.

5. Follow Up and Nurture Relationships

Post-sale follow-up shows customers that you value their business, strengthens trust, and provides an opportunity to address any issues or concerns they may have. 

Ignoring follow-up can leave customers feeling neglected, even after a positive sales experience. A proactive approach ensures you remain top-of-mind and reinforces the value you bring to their businesses.

Examples of Effective Follow-Up Communications

Crafting thoughtful, timely follow-ups can make a lasting impression. Here are a few examples of follow-up messages:

• The Thank-You Email: A simple thank-you email sent immediately after the sale goes a long way in showing gratitude and professionalism.
• The Check-In: After the customer has had time to use your product or service, a quick check-in ensures satisfaction and opens the door for feedback.
• The Value-Add Follow-Up: Share helpful resources, updates, or exclusive offers to keep the relationship fresh and demonstrate your ongoing commitment.

The Benefits of Long-Term Relationships

A satisfied customer is more likely to return when they need similar products or services in the future. Happy customers also become your best advocates, recommending you to their network and generating high-quality leads through social selling and referrals.

Regular check-ins provide valuable feedback on how your product or service is meeting customer needs, helping you innovate and improve.

6. Leverage Tools to Simplify the Sales Process

There are many sales enablement platforms that automate repetitive sales tasks. For example,  Yesware is a powerful sales engagement platform with the following features:

Automated Email Outreach and Follow-Ups

Time is money in sales, and Yesware ensures you don’t waste a second. The platform allows you to set up automated email sequences, so you can focus on building relationships while Yesware handles your email outreach, drip campaigns, and follow-ups.

Real-Time Engagement Tracking

Yesware tracks email opens, link clicks, and attachment views, giving you valuable insight into how prospects are responding to your emails. This real-time feedback helps you prioritize leads and optimize your messaging strategy.

Actionable Analytics

With Yesware’s robust analytics and reporting, you can identify what’s working in your email communications and refine your approach. Understand which subject lines drive engagement, which emails lead to replies, and which follow-ups close the deal.

Seamless Integration

Yesware integrates effortlessly with popular email platforms like Outlook and Gmail, making it easy to incorporate into your existing workflow. With minimal setup, you can supercharge your productivity without a steep learning curve.

Conclusion

The sales profession is challenging, but the right tools can make all the difference. By incorporating technology like Yesware into your process, you can simplify your workflows, stay organized, and achieve better results.

Remember, in sales, time is your most valuable resource. Spend it wisely by leveraging tools that let you focus on what matters most—building relationships and closing deals. With Yesware, you’ll not only meet your goals but exceed them.

Ready to transform your sales game? Sign up to try Yesware for free today!