MANAGEMENT

INSIGHTSWHATS INSIDE

(Media Group Online, Inc. is not affiliated with or endorses any of the resources, authors, speakers, companies or their content noted in this report and shares the materials for purely informational and educational purposes.)

© 2019. Media Group Online, Inc. All rights reserved.

JULY / AUGUST 2019www.mediagrouponlineinc.com

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Establishing a Strong Client Bond Starts with Your Message, Part 1

Right, Wrong or Indifferent: How B2B Buyers Perceive Salespeople Significantly Influences the Sale, Part 5

The Right Kind of Assertiveness Is a Winning Strategy for Salespeople, Part 2

How to Maximize the Value of Sales Lead Content

How to Manage the Emotions the Sales Job Can Trigger, Part 1

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Establishing a Strong Client Bond Starts with Your Message, Part 1Do you (or your sales team) perceive your “message” isn’t penetrating at a highly persuasive level? The problem may first lie with an age-old sales issue: selling features instead of benefits. You’ve probably seen and heard the same acronym countless times – WIIFM, or “What’s in it for me?”

Prospects and clients don’t just want an answer, they also want to be convinced you understand the specific and often unique paint points of their business and that you have the products to alleviate the pain.

Your message is typically the first attempt to establish a connection with prospects or clients. If you can’t hook them with a compelling message, however, all other tactics throughout the sales process will generally fail too.

You and your sales team can distinguish yourself by re-examining your product message. It may be your primary pain point.

Of the various reasons Natalie Nathanson, founder and president of Magnetude Consulting, lists in her June 2019 Forbes article, More Than Just Words: Demystifying B2B Messaging, “identifying shifts in buyer behavior” and “planning to penetrate new market segments and/or new personas” may apply the most to media sales.

If, upon close examination, you determine your current sales messaging isn’t having a positive and motivating influence on prospects and clients, then it’s time to re-evaluate your messaging according to these criteria.

• Market position – You may think you know your standing in the local media/advertising/business market, but take an in-depth look to determine if your status has changed.

• Competitors’ messaging – Investigate what your competitors are stating in their sales messages, especially if one or more are outgunning you and your team.

• Feedback – During a sales meeting (or two), ask your team to share any specific feedback from advertisers, retailers and business owners in general about how they view your station and its product.

• Product dissection – A sales meeting is also an excellent forum to dissect and discuss the product you offer today and what products you may offer during the future.

• Message consistency – Review the message on your Website, social media and other channels to determine if your message is consistent.

Part 2 of this article will provide specific steps to create better messaging.

Look for part 2 in the September/October 2019 Sales Management Insights Report.

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Right, Wrong or Indifferent: How B2B Buyers Perceive Salespeople Significantly Inf luences the Sale, Part 5During the past four Sales Management Insights Reports, we’ve been sharing the intriguing results of the DiscoverOrg survey of 230 B2B buyers.

As the last of this five-part series, this month’s content focuses on how to create a significant relationship with buyers.

“Friendliness” is a very important preference for buyers, as 66% stated they prefer “a friendly salesperson who has proficient knowledge of his or her product.” An important distinction to understand is that another 23% essentially prefer the same kind of salesperson, but not one they would want to befriend. Their saying, “I want you to be friendly, but don’t try to be my friend.”

Another subtle insight about creating a significant relationship with buyers is knowing how to walk the fine line between challenging buyers’ perceptions and supporting the comfort level of their current perceptions.

According to the survey, 30% of respondents indicated a preference for both sides of that line. Some buyers will want the independent advice and new strategies that a vendor can offer while others are only comfortable with salespeople who prove they will provide long-term assistance of the buyer’s pre-determined direction.

This portion of the DiscoveryOrg. survey also shares some practical tips about how to establish a solid relationship with buyers.

As many other surveys and sources have found, email is still the best method to start the dialogue for a first meeting, or 49% of the B2B buyers in the DiscoveryOrg. survey.

Half, or 50%, of buyers said they preferred to be contacted during a Tuesday and at almost three times the rate of the next preferred day, Thursday.

A crucial bit of advice from B2B buyers is the ideal period of time between the first client meeting and any follow-up communications, but it’s different for different industries.

Although retail is not listed in the table, using the number of days for “all” industries is probably your best choice.

Industry # of Days

All 3

Finance 2

Technology 3

Consulting 3

Media 3

Fashion 3

Government 3

Healthcare 1

Manufacturing 3

Real estate 7

DiscoverOrg, September 2017

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The Right Kind of Assertiveness Is a Winning Strategy for Salespeople, Part 2Part 1 of this article (May/June Sales Management Insights Report) introduced the concept that a salesperson can connect with buyers earlier in their purchase journey. This was the primary insight of Aberdeen, an intent-based marketing and sales solutions company, and PJA Advertising & Marketing’s 2nd annual B2B Buyer Survey.

An important finding of the survey was 48% of respondents said they were receptive to a salesperson challenging their thinking “when I’m beginning my research and exploration.” This seems logical, as the research-and-exploration stage is when many buyers haven’t yet made any specific decisions that will affect the remainder of the journey.

The survey also revealed that there are specific methods salespeople must use if they expect to challenge buyers’ thinking, but one is primary.

Although “solving an established problem” was buyers’ first choice, the other two obviously resonate with many buyers too, which provides the savvy salesperson with different and/or multiple methods to apply, especially if a particular sale is very challenging.

Of course, salespeople must do their homework to determine a prospects or client’s established problem. Much information, however, can be gleaned from many Media Group Online reports that reveal future changes in buyers’ industries and possible pain points which retailers/advertisers in those same industries in other markets have experience.

Another important bit of information in the results of the Aberdeen and PJA Advertising & Marketing survey is what buyers will do to ensure they have a clear and concise, but comprehensive, understanding of their choices before deciding on a vendor.MOST EFFECTIVE METHODS TO CONVINCE

BUYERS TO RETHINK THEIR BUSINESS NEEDS

Method Percent

Showing me a new way to solve an established problem

62%

Making me aware of a future change in the market

43%

Highlighting an unknown pain point or weakness

40%

Aberdeen/PJA Advertising & Marketing, 2019

HOW BUYERS PREPARE TO DECIDE ON A VENDOR

Preparation Percent

I’m open to new solutions if the vendors show me a new way to solve an established problem

33%

I include a known category leader 27%

I’ll include a vendor who has a vision to make the category better

22%

I tend to favor vendors our senior business or IT management suggest

19%

Aberdeen/PJA Advertising & Marketing, 2019

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How to Maximize the Value of Sales Lead ContentThe research team at Media Group Online has found many local TV stations do not profile their sales team on the station’s Website, as they do on-air journalists and personalities. Many Websites don’t have an advertising sales section to promote TV advertising with various types of B2B lead-generation content, such as articles, white papers, e-books, podcasts, videos, etc.

These are must-have tools in today’s digital information environment and the creation and use of B2B lead-generation content is a well-developed process that works for sales teams in many industries.

NetLine Corporation, the #1 B2B buyer engagement platform, offers compelling information in its 2019 State of B2B Content Consumption and Demand report to convince, cajole and motivate you to start a similar system for your sales team.

These findings are based on B2B buyers’ downloads of more than 4 million pieces of content they requested as well as data of buyers who match the profile of NetLine clients.

Analysis of data for 14 different corporate/business positions reveals the gap between requests for content continued to increase during 2018. Although, in some

cases, this increasing gap may indicate some recipients have lost interest, NetLine thinks it suggests more content is of higher quality, or quality over quantity.

Although these executives and managers waited longer before requesting additional information, they consumed the content they did request much faster.

Consultants (26%) and executive VPs (25%) reduced the time period the most, with vice presidents and contractors (3% each), reducing it the least. Three positions actually increased the period: senior manager, 24%; senior VP, 2%; and manager, 1%.

Another critical point that will seem counterintuitive is B2B lead-generation content needn’t always be strictly business-oriented. NetLine’s data indicates other topics, such as travel, leisure, fitness, diet, etc., which have some affinity with business, should be part of the content mix.

Another strategy NetLine recommends is matching content topics with buyer intent, based on where he or she is in the purchase journey. An initial lead-generation piece may be more introductory, focusing on a few key benefits while additional content a buyer may request could include more detailed information and insights about how you will relieve the prospect’s pain point.

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How to Manage the Emotions the Sales Job Can Trigger, Part 1Humans are emotional creatures by design; therefore, you shouldn’t be surprised, when members of your sales team become emotional. After all, they work a high-pressure, pedal-to-the-metal and take-no-prisoners job that can produce plenty of highs and lows.

One of your most important responsibilities is to learn how to manage emotional outbursts regardless of their cause. These episodes can’t be avoided, but if you have the right tools, then you can limit them and limit their effect on the other team members.

An article in the blog of Insperity, a HR technology company, lists 10 methodologies for managing emotion-packed occurrences.

1. Have a plan

The best managers in any industries typically have not only considered the possibility of emotional outbursts among employees, but also has developed a plan to manage and address any such situation.

You may find it useful to have a conversation with your HR manager. In addition, you may want to make confidential notes of every sales team member’s general emotional demeanor. How does he or she respond to deadlines or direction and assessment from you? Are personal issues causing him or her

to be on edge recently and more likely to become emotional?

2. Calm everyone quickly

Your first act is to help everyone become calm again. Ask the emotional employee to go to another room to regain his or her composure and to defuse any confrontation. If he or she is very upset, it might be wise to ask him or her to leave for the day.

What you can’t do is lose your cool and also respond emotionally by reprimanding the employee in the presence of others or even firing him or her on the spot. You must be the adult in the room.

3. Focus on the good

A negative situation typically causes most emotional displays, be it friction with another team member, a sales failure or one of those personal pressures. To help the person recover quickly and return calm to the team, emphasize the positive aspects of the situation. Let the person know he or she is highly valued and emotions are part of the job. Maybe, indicate what positive lessons can be learned from the situation.

Look for part 2 in the September/October 2019 Sales Management Insights Report.