We know that B2B researchers do 12 searches on average prior to engaging on a specific brand's site. (google)
If you’re going to keep a customer, it starts with gaining that customer. How do you do that? You understand what questions and challenges they have that you can provide solutions for. You make sure to be accessible, when and where they’re doing their research. That means your consultative approach to solution selling begins long before you’ve made physical contact.
If I’m going to make a purchase, it’s going to be from a source I have grown to trust. How do you build trust? Through education - relevant content that provides solutions to my problems. You’ll want to take into consideration that 71% of B2B researchers start their research with a generic search. Will they find you or your competition?
When we are conducting an assessment for our clients, we take a close look at competitors. What are they doing right? What are they doing wrong? What is the client doing right and/or wrong? Where can we provide a solution/consultative approach to fill that need? Now we build our strategy to compete from there.
Once you have earned that customer, how will you keep them engaged? Plan on providing relevant collateral, engaging information, and a reason to remain a customer before they leave.Continue to provide support by positioning relevant information in an accessible location on your site. Be a consultative seller providing solutions to their problems long before they are ready to commit.
You know better than anyone how your product and/or service provides solutions. Talk about it.
With all this information published and ready to go, don’t forget your first line of consultative/solution selling…. your sales team, and your leadership. We don’t recommend or sell something we don’t believe in. We also don’t lead organizations we don’t believe in, so include your executives in this process.
Add your social strategy to gain that engagement and attract your prospective customer.
You should be posting 80 percent of others relevant industry related information. Sharing is still important. You can be selfish with the other 20 percent. Use that to promote your products, company news, events, blogs...
Consultative selling and solution selling go hand in hand for the buyer’s journey. In the healthcare industry, manufacturers and distributors are vying for face time that is spread way too thin. This is a smarter way to reach the markets you serve in a responsible, non-intrusive, in your face, way. Remember, Cold calling is dead and your success hinges on being a relevant solution when and where your customer needs answers.