The main tasks of a salesperson in a b2b environment are gathering market intelligence, solving customer’s problems, locating and maintaining clients (e.g. software product leads), and providing follow-up services. Here’s an in-depth look at each one of them.
Gathering market intelligence. With a marketplace that is highly competitive, salespeople must be in touch with the latest trends in their industry. Not only must they be aware of what their competitors are up to, they must also be continuously looking for new product projects, evaluating their advertising and promotional plans, but must also be keen regarding feedback coming from customers regarding the performances of their own products. Competitive knowledge is crucial when the salesperson has to answer questions involving product comparisons over the phone. These data must be properly documented so it can be reported electronically to higher management. Managers in turn will be able to retrieve this information and use it accordingly at a later date.
Problem solving. As a salesperson, the only way you can make a sale is to listen to your customer’s wants and needs. By listening, asking, and providing the right information and advice with their best interest in mind is what makes up relationship selling. You need to be able to demonstrate a genuine concern for your customer’s problems for you to gain their trust.
Locating and maintaining a steady client base. As a salesperson, it is your key responsibility to locate brand new leads, turn them into buying customers and hopefully, earn their trust and loyalty to keep them in the long haul. A call center company cannot afford to be happy with its current list of customers because if you’re not expanding, your company is not growing and therefore prone to being outdone by your competitors. You must continuously be in active pursuit of new accounts because this is the only way to increase sales and avoid shrinkage.
Providing follow-up service. Salespeople are the first point of contact when something goes wrong or much needed information is required. Maintaining customers is of great importance and more often than not, it will be the quality of the company’s follow-up service that will determine if your customer will remain your customer. Being the company’s direct link to your clients, it has to be emphasized that the role of salespeople is of utmost importance in providing great customer service. Your role goes far beyond closing the deal because you must be prepared in handling problems that might emerge after that. That’s the only way you can keep your customers happy and satisfied.
Gathering market intelligence. With a marketplace that is highly competitive, salespeople must be in touch with the latest trends in their industry. Not only must they be aware of what their competitors are up to, they must also be continuously looking for new product projects, evaluating their advertising and promotional plans, but must also be keen regarding feedback coming from customers regarding the performances of their own products. Competitive knowledge is crucial when the salesperson has to answer questions involving product comparisons over the phone. These data must be properly documented so it can be reported electronically to higher management. Managers in turn will be able to retrieve this information and use it accordingly at a later date.
Problem solving. As a salesperson, the only way you can make a sale is to listen to your customer’s wants and needs. By listening, asking, and providing the right information and advice with their best interest in mind is what makes up relationship selling. You need to be able to demonstrate a genuine concern for your customer’s problems for you to gain their trust.
Locating and maintaining a steady client base. As a salesperson, it is your key responsibility to locate brand new leads, turn them into buying customers and hopefully, earn their trust and loyalty to keep them in the long haul. A call center company cannot afford to be happy with its current list of customers because if you’re not expanding, your company is not growing and therefore prone to being outdone by your competitors. You must continuously be in active pursuit of new accounts because this is the only way to increase sales and avoid shrinkage.
Providing follow-up service. Salespeople are the first point of contact when something goes wrong or much needed information is required. Maintaining customers is of great importance and more often than not, it will be the quality of the company’s follow-up service that will determine if your customer will remain your customer. Being the company’s direct link to your clients, it has to be emphasized that the role of salespeople is of utmost importance in providing great customer service. Your role goes far beyond closing the deal because you must be prepared in handling problems that might emerge after that. That’s the only way you can keep your customers happy and satisfied.