Even the best product in the market won’t boost win rates when it comes to enterprise tech sales. According to original research by Emissary, in 78% of cases, it wasn’t the product that made the difference – it was the rep’s B2B sales skills. And just four selling behaviors are most likely to tip the scales.
Based on input from 424 senior-level executives, Emissary has identified four B2B sales skills that positively influence a deal when done well and will likely kill a deal if done poorly. These are
- Configuring messaging to create immediate relevance and connection
- Demonstrating account intelligence that positions sellers ‘on the client side of the table’
- Selling with insights versus features, benefits, and questions
- Facilitating mutual dialog that benefits all the stakeholders involved
Find out how these sales behaviors can win or lose deals:
Many companies believe that their product offering and feature set will win deals regardless of how sales interact with prospects. However, in recent research, Emissary found that for most enterprise technology purchases, buyers were torn between one or more offerings which were equally suitable for their needs. Their ultimate decision depended on how well the sales teams worked with them in the buying process.
“As we look ahead into 2022, buyers are less tolerant of sales and marketing motions that make them feel that the responsibility is on the buyer,” notes Allen Mueller, CEO of Emissary. “Tech buyers favor vendors who understand their realities and can work within their culture and add value beyond their proposed solution.”
Emissary’s latest research defines the four behaviors that make the most positive impression if done well and the most negative impression if done poorly. The study also found other B2B sales skills which help or hurt deals in different ways and with less impact. Using this research, sales teams can focus on building the critical capabilities that tip the scales in their favor.
Get Insight Insight on Your Most Important Accounts
Emissary is a human intelligence network that connects enterprise sales and marketing professionals directly to a community of over 12,000 talented senior and C-level executives with recent experience at their most important accounts. Leveraging the Emissary network will enable you to shorten your sales cycles, close more deals, and build positive long-lasting relationships with your clients and prospects—because you’ve gathered the tacit knowledge on their challenges and needs.
You’ll learn which voice carries the most weight in technical purchases, what kinds of case studies make an impact, and how to speak your buyers’ language. With Advisors’ intelligence in your toolkit, you’ll execute more successful sales actions and capture a higher share of deals.
Find out how an Emissary Advisor can help with your most important deals.