business plan for b2b sales

How to Create a B2B Sales Plan: Template + Examples

A sales plan is an essential tool for any business, especially in B2B. It provides a roadmap for achieving your sales goals. By clearly outlining your strategies and tactics, a well-crafted sales plan will keep you on track and help you measure your progress along the way.

Creating a sales plan can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. This article lays out a structure for a sales plan. We will extend this article over time.

In this post, we’ll cover

What is a sales plan, what is the sales planning process, what are typical elements of a sales plan, executive summary, key assumptions for this sales plan (examples), target customers and related products / services, business planing, initiatives and measures, required resources, overall outcome of a sales plan, sales plan in one sentence, sales plan examples.

A sales plan is a document that encompasses goals, target customers, and sales strategy aimed at attaining necessary results. It enables a company’s leadership and sales team to plan concrete measures and initiatives to achieve the defined business outcomes as well as predict business-related risks and steps to avoid them.

• Gather historic sales data
• Define your objectives including existing business plans
• Define your assumptions going into sales planning
• Determine metrics for success
• Determine current situation
• Start sales forecasting based on current performance
• Identify gaps to success metrics and business plan
• Ideate new initiatives to close gaps
• Involve stakeholders for feedback
• Outline action items and determine ressource requirements

A typical sales plan includes the following sections:

• Key assumptions
• Revenue Targets, Business Plan
• Strategies and Tactics (incl. Marketing initiatives)
• Pricing and Promotions, marketing and sales channels
• Deadlines and responsibiliites
• Team structure
• Market Conditions

Structure of sales strategy / quarterly sales plan

A structured sales plan provides clarity and guidance in a turbulent environment. Based on over 100 projects, we provide you with a suggested structure to map out specific goals, action items, and target dates for progress.

• What targets will you hit
• Which measures are you taking
• Which (incremental) ressources do you need
• Focus on product A and region B to generate the revenues
• Keep existing product mix
• Product improvements / innovation
• Other departments plans / confirmed actions
• Customer segments, ABC-analysis
• Geographical split
• Market size and penetration today and in future
• Performance based on previous performance (“bottom-up 1”) potentially: variance analysis of actual results vs. plan of previous timeframe
• Performance based on realistic & ambitious estimates from managerial experience (“bottom-up 2”)
• top-down targets from business plan (communicated towards shareholders) (“top-down”)
• Gap analysis between today “bottom-up 1”, “bottom-up 2” and “top-down”
• Decision, which plan (named “ sales plan “) will be basis for next timeframe
• number of resources / seller
• avg. revenue per deal
• ramp-up time per seller
• target achievement per seller
• product / country / margin mix
• Employee churn
• Customer churn
• As needed: “sales plan” breakdown to quarters, months, weeks and days.
• As needed: breakdown “sales plan” to teams and individuals incl. 10-20% buffer for every hierachy level
• Prepare: Development of measures to fill gap to get to “sales plan”

• 3-5 key initiatives to deliver the “sales plan” as outlined above
• Each initiative is linked to 3-7 specific measures linked to metrics and financial outcomes
• employee churn
• customer churn
• Each measure is linked to one person responsible and has a clear timline
• Ideally: every initiative can be measured by specific KPIs (to see if progress is made)
• FTE resources Marketing
• FTE resources Sales
• Budgets (team, budget for marketing, new tools or incentives / SPIFFs)
• IT support for implementation of new sales tools
• Product management for changes to product / services
• Customer Success / Account Management
• Which marketing channels will be used
• Which sales channels will be used
• Overview: which team approaches what type of customers through which channel and which product / service offering
• Planning of all initiatives and tasks for upcoming timeframe incl. responsibilities
• Financial planning sales / P&L in collaboration with controlling department
• Overview of all requirements to other departments / companies and shareholders to achieve the plan
• Outlook for timeframe following the planned timeframe (t+1)

We will achieve an overall goal of 1,3 m€ in net new ARR in Q1/23. For this I need 500 k€ (in budget and headcount, 100 k€ incremental budget required) and the defined support from the organization / shareholders.

Over time, we will link examples of sales plans in this section.

Jens Hutzschenreuter

Jens is a previous B2B Sales leader (Groupon, ryd), ex-Management Consultant with Boston Consulting Group and is now supporting ~50 B2B sales organizations annually in developing systems, structure and processes to scale an organization up to 250 sellers.

How to Build a Sales Plan: The Step-by-Step Guide

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So, you’ve developed a killer sales strategy . ✅

Your next step? Create a killer sales plan that will transform that deck full of goals and targets into tangible results, but also help understand your sales team’s performance all-round.

Sounds like a must-have, doesn’t it? That’s why we’re going to cover everything you need to know about building an effective sales plan, as well as help you out with strategic sales plan examples and templates to help you get started.

So then, let’s go.

What is a sales plan?

A sales plan is what outlines your sales team’s objectives and targets, as well as the steps, budget, and tools needed to get you there.

It includes specific revenue goals, information on your ideal customer profile (ICP), the chosen sales tactics, possible obstacles, threats, and necessary resources.

Creating a robust sales plan is really handy to anyone that works in sales. It helps everyone see the big picture, get aligned on goals, and understand their role in achieving them.

When you take the time to craft a sales plan, you will:

• Create a clear and accessible reference to understand company and sales-specific goals.
• Give your team the strategic direction it needs throughout every stage of the sales funnel.
• Provide guidance to sales leadership and outside the sales department, too.
• Build a foundation upon which to monitor progress and performance.

How to make a sales plan

An ideal sales plan consists of 13 key components:

• Company mission
• Goals and revenue targets
• Review of past performance
• Market and industry analysis
• Positioning
• Prospecting strategy
• Inbound marketing strategy
• Sales tactics
• Performance metrics

Let’s dive deeper into each of these components so you’ll understand exactly how to make a sales plan.

1) Company mission

What are we all doing here? If your sales team can’t answer this question, don’t expect to get too far. Before anyone starts selling anything, it’s important for each team member to understand the company’s mission, purpose, and vision.

• Why did the founders build the company?
• What exactly does your product or service do?
• What value does it provide customers?
• How does your company impact industry, society, or the world?

Taking the time to answer these questions helps your sales leadership, reps, and account managers start to see the bigger picture, which is essential for bringing your sales strategy to life.

2) Market and industry analysis

This is the part where you research the major trends, challenges, pain points, and opportunities in your market. If your company serves businesses across different industries, you’ll need to conduct this research for each and every one of them.

Having a deep understanding of your market and where it’s heading is crucial for holding meaningful conversations with prospects and providing real value.

You can do this using the Competitive Landscape view on Similarweb Sales Intelligence, but if you fancy it, you can venture over to our friend, Similarweb Research Intelligence to get even more detailed competitor and industry analysis.

3) Review of past performance

Reviewing your sales team’s past performance can be incredibly valuable while building a sales plan.

This is where you can gain a clearer understanding of what factors led your team to positive vibes (✨) and what contributed to not-so-positive vibes. Once you’ve narrowed down what works and what doesn’t, you can apply these insights to your future sales strategy.

Looking into past performance might highlight specific techniques that saw a big boost in revenue one quarter, or things like a sales manager leaving had a big impact on a team’s performance because they were key to the onboarding process.

These discoveries can – and should – impact your forward planning to make sure your next quarter is as good as can be.

4) Goal setting

Your sales goals will take the form of revenue goals and volume goals.

For example, you might set a total target revenue goal of $15 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR).

But you will might want to consider breaking down your targets in a number of ways, including:

• By product (eg. a particular product or service doing better than another)
• By region (eg. your North America region routinely performs better than your EMEA)
• By quarter (eg. your company closes the most deals in the fourth quarter, and the least in the first quarter)
• By individual reps (eg. highly experienced reps vs. reps that are new and being onboarded)

By taking these factors into consideration, you will be able apply ambitious yet achievable goals and targets for your team.

Another thing to consider: volume goals. You might aim to sign 80 new customers a year, but are you thinking about the size of the opportunities? For example, you might sign 30 Fortune 500 logos in that number. Breaking into new markets or shifting from medium-large-size companies to enterprise companies is just another example of the type of goals that should be closely tied to your overall business objectives.

One of the most important things to remember when setting goals is to make them realistic. If it is simply not possible to hit your targets with the budget, human capital, and marketing resources you have access to, you are setting yourself up for failure.

5) Ideal customer profiles (ICP)

Next up: it’s time to review your ideal customer profile (ICP). You should have a clearly defined ICP in your sales strategy. Why? Because your ICP is all about who would make the best long-term customer.

You can build this by looking at your current customer base, and seeing what characteristics make up your best performing or most loyal customers. Most ICPs are made up of demographic characteristics, including:

• Company size

However, these traits are broad and could easily produce a large list of prospects, including some companies that aren’t actually a good fit to your ICP. With a Sales Intelligence solution like Similarweb, you can enrich your prospects list with granular digital performance metrics, such as:

• Volume of sales per region
• Monthly/annual revenue
• Current tech stack
• Current partnerships (eg. existing in your CRM)

With our unique traffic and engagement data , Similarweb empowers sales teams with full digital visibility into every part of a prospect’s digital strategy and performance. This added information helps you weed out irrelevant prospects so you can focus on just the best potential customers – and win them.

6) Positioning

Positioning your company is all about determining how to best situate it within the current context of the market. This can be called market mapping , where you ask yourself questions like:

• Who are your competitors?
• How does your product or service compare?
• What are your relative strengths and weaknesses ?
• What is your competitors’ pricing and what is yours?

You’ll also want to focus on the technology trends or regulatory changes that impact the market as a whole, such as the rising popularity of a certain technology or the emergence of a new data privacy law. How will these factors impact your business and your competitors?

It might seem obvious, but going over your team can get overlooked in the sales planning process.

When looking at your team and its dynamic, you’ll want to ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the desired headcount?
• Which positions do we need to fill or eliminate?
• What is each rep, sales manager, or AE’s responsibility?
• Do we have a process in place for ramping up new hires?
• Do we have good sales mentors?
• How can we keep everyone aligned?

Despite the fact that sales involves lots of individual work, it’s a team sport at the end of the day. Sales success depends on effective training, sharing best practices, solid leadership, coaching, and accountability. So, go get it, team.

Your budget is going to need to stretch across all costs associated with reaching your sales goals, which usually includes:

• Human capital costs, such as salaries and commissions
• Sales training programs
• Sales technologies and tools
• Contest prizes and incentives
• Travel costs
• Conference exhibition costs

The more detailed your budget is, the easier it will be to make your case and get the spend your department needs.

9) Prospecting strategy

Sales prospecting is the process of identifying potential customers who fit your ICP with the goal of adding them to your sales funnel . Once you’ve got your list of relevant prospects and added them to the CRM, your next step is establishing a relationship and nurturing them until they are ready to become paying customers.

Prospecting is integral to an effective sales plan because it helps to make sure reps are going after the right kind of customers – and not wasting company time (or money) chasing the wrong ones.

If you’re prospecting manually, you’ll find that it’s a pretty time-consuming sales activity. In short: it’s no one’s favorite task. But with a robust prospecting tool, it makes your life a lot easier.

With Similarweb’s Sales Intelligence tool, you can quickly build a list of prospects who are ready to buy your product. Similarweb’s database includes more than 100 million websites and offers more than 50 digital criteria, to make sure you’re filtering out the misfits and leaving yourself with a list of good fits.

Our insights generator tool will also help you learn and understand more about the prospect’s market, and gain key insights on how your company can help grow their business, giving your sales pitch the edge you need to seal the deal.

10) Inbound marketing strategy

For this bit of the sales plan, you’ll need to collaborate with marketing to ensure you’re aligned on core objectives, business strategy, and target audience.

If you’re not on the same page about these things, each department could be spending time and money focusing on clashing target audiences. If you want to bring in high-quality leads, marketing and sales need to work together closely.

11) Sales tactics

Sales tactics are the actions you take to bring your sales strategy to life. When putting together your sales plan, you’ll want to dedicate some time to determine which tactics will help you achieve your goals most effectively.

Here are some of the sales tactics we always recommend:

• Truly listen and focus on solving problems
• Stay true to your word and follow through
• Rely on data to drive prospecting and boost outreach efforts
• Review your conversations with prospects

Check out our post on 10 sales tactics that will help you crush your quota for more!

12) Tech stack

At this point – now you’ve outlined all of your goals and needs – you’ll want to consider which tools your sales team needs to get the job done.

Your tool or tech stack should include things like:

• Customer relationship management (CRM)
• Sales Intelligence
• Prospecting and lead enrichment
• Analytics and reporting
• Process and training
• Meeting scheduling and recording

13) Performance metrics

The last piece of the puzzle is tracking and measuring your success, and seeing whether you met your goals.

Sales metrics and KPIs can vary company to company, but we’ve got a list of the 8 sales metrics you need to be tracking .

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4 strategic sales plan examples

If writing a sales plan from scratch feels a little bit overwhelming, you can take a deep breath. There are lots of existing sales plan examples out there that you can use and adapt to your needs.

Here are four strategic sales plan examples you can customize to bring your sales strategy to life (without the overwhelm).

1) 30-60-90-day sales plan

This sales plan example is used to help sales organizations stay on track towards achieving their goals. The idea is to set milestones for the 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day mark, so you can monitor progress within a given time period.

This type of plan works especially well for revenue-related goals, growing the volume of sales, or reducing customer churn. Additionally, new sales reps often use a 30-60-90-day sales plan to track their individual progress while ramping up.

2) Market expansion sales plan

A market expansion sales plan provides direction when your business is expanding into a new industry or territory. Bonus: it’s a list of tasks and relevant metrics to help set you up for success.

For example, if you’re expanding into a new territory, some tasks to check off could include:

• Increasing headcount
• Preparing training for new reps
• Researching regional markets and competition
• Determining accurate revenue and volume goals

While some metrics will just tell you whether or not you completed the task (such as, did you create additional training material that focuses on your new territory? Yes or no), others will require quantitative benchmarks (such as revenue-related goals).

3) New product sales plan

This sales plan example is perfect for when you’re preparing to launch a new product or service line. When you create a new product sales plan, the goal is to generate revenue from the new product. Therefore, the plan provides steps and guidance for incorporating the new product into your sales processes and pitch.

To get it right, you’ll want to:

• Perform competitive analysis ✅
• Determine how the new product impacts your brand and market position ✅
• Work with product marketing on the pitch ✅
• Identify which prospects and customers the new product will be relevant to ✅

4) Business development sales plan

With a business development sales plan, you can focus on using connections and building relationships to attract new potential customers. So on this kind of plan, your activities will be things like networking, sponsoring events, attending industry conferences, and performing cold outreach .

But like any sales plan, you’ll also need to determine which KPIs are most relevant.

One example: you’re an exhibitor at a large industry conference. Your KPIs might center on the number of badges your scan, number of meetings set, and number of follow-up meetings requested.

Or, when it comes to outreach, you’ll track how many prospects responded to you, scheduled meetings, and meet your qualification standards to measure your success.

Here’s another place that Similarweb Sales Intelligence comes in. It’s a tool that will make outreach a breeze. With the Insights Generator function, you can automate the task of finding relevant and compelling “insight nuggets” to include in sales emails. By mentioning specific stats related to their business or their competitors, you are sure to pique their attention.

Top sales plan templates

Another way to simplify the process of building a sales plan is to make the most of sales plan templates.

A “fill-in-the-blank” structure makes everything a little less complicated, right?

However, if you do choose to use a sales plan template, you’ve got to invest time and energy into customizing it to the very last detail so it’s totally relevant to your sales team.

Try these *customizable* templates out for size:

1) Hubspot sales plan template

Hubspot’s free template includes questions and steps to cover the following sections:

• Company History & Mission
• Team Structure
• Target Market
• Tools and Software
• Marketing Strategy
• Prospecting Strategy
• Action Plan

With guiding questions in each section, it can help you clearly articulate all of the necessary information you have to offer.

2) Leadfeeder’s B2B sales plan template

Leadfeeder’s template is designed to help B2B companies produce an actionable sales plan that you can put to use straight away.

It includes:

• Dedicated space to add your objectives and KPIs in a visual and structured way
• Sales projections for the quarter with all necessary calculations to hit your revenue goals
• Pipeline dashboard with deal size

According to Leadfeeder, their sales plan template is best for B2B companies that have a product that requires demos, meetings, and runs through multiple decision makers. Noted.

3) Asana sales plan template

Asana’s template takes a project management approach to sales planning by visualizing all of the tasks in your sales plan as a checklist. This approach helps you assign tasks to certain individuals, as well as set deadlines.

One of the benefits of Asana’s sales plan template is that it accounts for dependencies, so no crucial task can go (accidentally) unseen.

One way they do this? Your colleague won’t be able to check off the “draft buyer personas” task until you’ve completed and ticked “perform market research”.

Creating a sales plan doesn’t need to be hard

Having a sales plan is all well and good, but having an efficient sales plan is essential to your success.

Like we said, sure, it can be overwhelming, but tons of great salespeople before you have done the legwork for you. Today, you have plenty of strategic sales plan examples, sales plan templates, and sales tools to help get you going.

by Leah Messenger

Senior Content Marketing Manager

Leah is a Senior Content Marketing Manager with a passion for turning complex topics into engaging, educational content.

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How to Create a Winning B2B Sales Plan [+ Free Template]

• Last updated July 5, 2024
• By Jessica Huhn

ON THIS PAGE

• A comprehensive B2B sales plan includes clear objectives, a structured sales team overview, market positioning, target audience analysis, and defined sales goals​.
• Realistic goal setting using the SMART criteria and backing up strategies with data are crucial for creating an actionable and effective sales plan​.
• Involving the sales team in the planning process and analyzing competitor strategies can provide valuable insights and enhance the plan’s success​.

Are you ready to be the next rockstar of your company’s sales meeting? Whether you work for a new business or an established one, keep reading to learn everything about how to create a sales plan that brings you more clients. And after that, you can download our free sales plan template and get started making one of your own.

What is a B2B sales plan?

Before diving too deep, it’s helpful to go over a quick sales plan definition. These plans are ways for companies to strategize and set goals for their sales departments.

There are several beneficial reasons to create this type of action plan. One reason is because these plans give your team clear objectives to carry out. Also, the research you perform while creating this type of business plan often uncovers new opportunities for your team. Lastly, these types of plans also allow for performance and goal tracking. This is a great way to find out if your team is growing stronger in their sales skills or if problems need addressing.

Now, let’s go over what you need to include in your company’s sales plan.

What should you include in your strategic sales plan?

There are many sections you’ll want to include in this type of action plan for your team. Considering that, it’s helpful to learn more about these important sections. Here is a quick overview of each section of a standard sales plan.

1. Introduction

Typically, the beginning of this plan is where you give a brief introduction of what this plan is going to cover. While it’s usually at the beginning, most people find it easier to create this 2–3 sentence introduction after formulating all other sections of this plan.

2. Sales team structure

This next section provides key information about the structure of your team. This includes roles and responsibilities, as well as how general reporting flows through the entire department. Sales team structures also often include information about new hires, recent promotions, location changes, sales process changes, and other updates to the structure of your team .

3. Market position/industry

Another important part of this kind of plan involves listing information about your position within your industry. To do this, you’re going to need to find and report information about your competition. You might think that this sounds impossible, how can I find information about how well a competitor is doing? Fortunately, digital marketing tools make it easy to research your competition and find out more about traffic totals, brand reach, and other important metrics.

4. Target audience

It’s also a good idea to research your company’s ideal customers while creating this type of business plan. One reason to do this is because the audience a sales team is targeting can change due to lots of factors. By keeping this information updated, you’ll be able to let everyone reading your plan clearly know who your target customers are and why.

5. Challenges

Think of your company’s sales plan as a story. And no good story is complete without challenges for the characters to overcome. With that in mind, this section is where you’ll list the challenges your team faces and how you’ll overcome them. Think hard about this – you don’t want any unexpected surprises catching your team off guard.

6. Sales goals (short/long-term)

It’s also important to include a goals section in this plan. Challenges your team faces, listed in the section above, focus on things that are out of your team’s control . Goals, while still challenging, deal with things that your sales team can control.

Short-term plans measure goals that span from weeks to quarters, while longer-term plans can range from six months to years.

Also, use this section as a quick way to set any goals or key performance indicators for your sales team to achieve. This can include celebrating a certain number of new clients , a growth in total sales over the last period, expansion into new territories, and similar types of information.

7. Plan of action (sales strategy)

No sales plan is complete without a plan of action. Here, you’ll want to list the specific steps your team will use to achieve their individual and group goals. To make sure everyone is on the same page and has a clear direction of the end goal, include lots of data and actionable steps in this section of your sales plan.

8. Finances

Whether it’s a small business or large corporation, every company operates on some type of budget. Considering that, it’s essential to include financial information in your company’s sales plan. You’ll want to present accurate sales budget information including what’s available and how you plan on allocating this budget across your department. This is also a great opportunity to list sales totals and revenue targets compared to previous weeks/months/quarters/years. Also, make sure you use this section to list other types of financial goals your team is going after.

You don’t need to overthink your plan’s summary. Much like the introduction, use the summary as a way to frame a nice 2–3 sentence wrap-up that focuses on the future of your sales team.

5 steps to create a winning B2B sales action plan

Now, it’s time to learn a few tips on how to best write one of these plans. By using these tips, you’ll have plenty of information to include in your company’s sales plan.

1. Have realistic goals

It would be nice to impress your boss with a lofty goal that would make any sales manager raise their eyebrows. But struggling to meet nearly impossible goals isn’t going to end up pleasing anyone. Instead, make sure your goals are realistic, based on previous sales information and accurate forecasting.

For help with creating goals, use the SMART system , which stands for:

Using this system can help ensure your sales team are creating goals that are challenging yet achievable. Also, by digging deeper into proposed goals with the SMART system, you can easily remove those that aren’t worth pursuing.

2. Back up what you’re saying with data

While creating this type of plan, it’s easy to make general statements about upcoming goals. However, without data, it’s hard to back up anything you’re saying. Essentially, this creates a plan that might look great and read well but has nothing concrete to back up the statements it makes.

3. Research your company’s target audience

Every company has its own type of target audience. You might even have multiple target audiences. To make it easier to reach this audience, take the time to find out more about their specific needs. Performing this type of research can also help you uncover lots of prospecting opportunities with possible new customers.

4. Involve all sales employees during the sales plan creation process

What group of people know the most about the challenges and opportunities your sales department faces? Your sales team. As you prepare this type of plan, make sure to get your sales team’s opinion and thoughts. Chances are, you’ll gain valuable insights and have a much stronger presentation with your whole sales team behind you.

5. Take a closer look at your competitors

If you’re like most people, you don’t want to dwell on your company’s competition. However, this is necessary if you want to create a strong plan that succeeds in the market. You can gain lots of valuable insight by looking at competitor data. Of course, no competitor is going to give you the keys to their kingdom. Instead, find the information you need by using digital marketing tools and programs to get the upper hand.

You’ll want to look for publicly available information about your competitors including:

• Social media : Utilize social listening to take a close look at your competitors’ followers, shares, likes, and similar engagement metrics.
• SEO results : With the help of a few marketing automation tools , you can learn more about the online presence of your company’s competition.
• Competitor news: While looking over this type of information, look for anything else your brand’s sales team can capitalize on.

Download our exclusive, free sales plan template

If you don’t want to create a plan from scratch, we completely understand. Most salespeople find themselves dealing with lots of things to take care of and simply don’t have time to sit down to create a lengthy sales plan.

No need to worry, we’ve got you covered with our downloadable sales plan template, just click the image below to download it. This template includes everything we’ve covered above in a clean layout. Feel free to make it your own, and share this page with other colleagues you feel would benefit from this template.

To wrap things up, sales plans are great ways to take a closer look inside of your sales department. With these clear steps and the right relevant data, you’ll be able to create an effective sales plan that gives everyone on your team a clear picture of the road that lies ahead.

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How to Create a B2B Sales Plan (a GTM Guide)

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The platform for orchestrating performance.

For sales managers, planning for the future can feel quite different from stomping out fires in the present. Efficiently structuring your market opportunities and deploying your sales team to match is how sales leaders translate high-level strategy into execution in the field.

Sales planning is complex, especially in B2B. Complexity creates opportunities. The more that sales organizations can organize their customers and prospects and then empower their sales team to effectively deliver on those opportunities, the more successful they’ll be at beating the competition.

Read on to learn what sales planning is, how to optimize it in B2B, and what best practices develop a successful sales planning process.

What is Sales Planning?

Sales Planning is how a sales organization slices up the market and aligns its sales team to fit. Sales planning is the crucial link that connects high-level strategy—goals, markets, products—with execution in the field.

By optimizing its sales planning, a sales organization can make sure that it pairs the right salespeople with the right accounts and that it groups accounts most efficiently. It can ensure that the way it organizes customers and prospects remains in sync with the company’s overall sales goals. Good sales planning also puts a company’s salespeople in the best position to succeed.

Sales planning comprises the key building blocks of a sales strategy: sales quota planning, territory planning, account segmentation and scoring, and sales capacity planning. By optimizing these and connecting them to one another, a sales organization can increase the productivity of its sales force, reduce attrition and, ideally, raise its bottom line.

What’s the difference between Sales Planning and a Sales Plan?

A sales plan is something a sales leader (or a team of sales leaders) make once, or maybe once a year; sales planning is an ongoing activity. In this way, companies who shift from making a sales plan to doing sales planning year-round are able to stay more flexible and can more quickly adapt to market or other business changes.

The transition from making a sales plan to doing sales planning becomes more important the more a sales team grows and a company’s sales strategy matures. As the sales strategy integrates more and more moving pieces—which can be people, products, territories, customers, markets, currencies, geographies, or any other element—it’s critical that sales leadership be able to address changes as they happen.

Rather than seeing a sales plan as an inflexible framework that to be rigidly adhered to at all moments, sales leaders should view sales planning as an evolving set of modifiable guidelines that help a sales organization best fulfill its goals. Taking this approach helps a sales team to figure out the best way to address its key priorities, even if those priorities change.

4 Steps to Create a Sales Plan in B2B

Sales planning generally includes those aspects of the sales strategy that deal with organizing prospects and coordinating the sales team, including account segmentation and scoring, sales quota planning, territory planning, and sales capacity planning.

Account Segmentation and Scoring

Account segmentation and scoring is how sales organizations classify and group their opportunities. Doing both effectively helps sales teams understand which markets, products, and customers they should target to best grow their business, which opportunities are ripe for cross-selling or upselling, and how the company’s salespeople are best deployed.

Both account segmentation and account scoring exert a downstream influence in the sales organization, helping determine how that organization plans its territories and quotas, how it makes its forecasts, and how it interacts with other parts of the organization, including marketing and HR.

The key steps for evaluating sales opportunities

There are three key steps for developing an initial understanding of sales opportunities:

Define account segments

A good segmentation strategy begins with knowing which attributes are most important to your company’s success, and which allow you to most efficiently group accounts by sales strategy. Accounts can be grouped by any number of criteria: industry, revenue, prior-year sales, employee headcount, wallet share, tenure, and more. Any of these may correlate with your product offerings (perhaps you have different products for different-sized companies, or companies in different industries), or with the salespeople in your company (perhaps your salespeople are better equipped to sell to companies in the same industry, even if those companies have different sizes. Perhaps the opposite is true.).

You can additionally segment accounts based on whether they are active or pipeline accounts that require further nurturing. Classifying accounts in this way can help you forecast revenues for the quarter or year.

Assess account potential

Sales managers are often lured by the rush of chasing after new business—but it’s often easier, faster, and cheaper to sell to an existing customer than to get a foot in the door with a new account. Take a look at prior-year sales and identify key active accounts with large expansion opportunity. Then calculate the potential ROI of devoting different resources to existing accounts versus potential new ones.

Collaborate with front-line salespeople but incorporate actual data

Make prioritizing and ranking accounts a collaborative process between sales leaders and front-line salespeople, like field managers and sales reps. Front-line teams work with your customers daily and often have valuable insights that can help calculate account growth potential versus exhausted accounts.

At the same time, make sure that you have data to reinforce whatever hunches your sales people might have. In this way, account segmentation can be a bi-directional process: front-line salespeople can give you insights into how to read your data, and data can help front-line salespeople better prioritize their activities.

Sales Quota Planning

Did you know that 50 percent of organizations create five to ten iterations of their sales quota plans before rolling those quotas out to the field? Here are some tips for setting more effective sales quotas.

Weigh past performance against future opportunity

Many organizations set their sales quotas based on the historical performance of individual sales reps, but that can unintentionally discourage collaboration or penalize your best salespeople. Instead of simply upping last year’s quotas, take a closer look at the overall market opportunity and make sure your quotas are encouraging the behaviors that best fit the unique drivers in your market.

Use technology to monitor and measure the results

The key for setting better quotas is to use the right technology to evaluate effectiveness. “The right technology” means technology designed to do this sort of work.

For example, you’re probably using a CRM to monitor data for leaders and sales teams and to keep track of leads, calendars events, meetings, and deadlines. But this kind of technology doesn’t collect the information you need to design good quotas. Nor can it consolidate, reorganize, and track data in the forms you need.

Instead, you need technology that can collect and analyze sales data automatically, and that can supply this data when you need it.

Strike the right balance

Setting sales quotas is all about balance. Sales quotas need to meet the needs of your sales reps, your sales managers, and your company as a whole, while also syncing with your company’s overall business strategy. With a more transparent process, you’ll get sales reps buy-in to their sales quotas, which leads to their working harder toward reaching and exceeding those goals because they believe in the process and understand the decisions that produced those quotas.

Create a consistent process

A recent Anaplan survey found that 38 percent of companies suffer from a “lack of effective processes” when setting quotas. At many companies, the process changes yearly. For example, different sales reps might be assigned higher or lower quotas based on their past performance. When these kinds of variables are arbitrary, reps tend to ignore them. To keep both your field and leadership happy, determine a consistent process and stick to year after year.

Territory Planning

A recent article in Harvard Business Review found that by optimizing their sales territories, sales organizations can increase sales by two-to-seven percent without changing anything else about their strategy and without allocating resources any differently. Indeed, it’s crucial to evolve your territory and quota strategy to keep up as business priorities and objectives change.

Here are three tips for taking the guesswork out of territory planning and integrating your territory planning into your overall enterprise performance management strategy:

Use a data-driven approach

Territory and quota planning needs to be part of your team’s overall sales forecasting and sales analytics processes. Your organization likely has a massive amount of sales data. Look for ways to use this data to gain insights into where the biggest opportunities lie and how those opportunities are spread across your sales territories. Locate territories that show signs of growth and assign reps whose strengths best align with these opportunities. Make sure that your territory assignments and sales quotas are based on real data and solid trends, not just wishful thinking.

Listen to front-line sales managers and reps

As with quota-planning, creating sales territories should be a collaborative process. Instead of handing down the latest territory assignments from the top, work with sales managers and sales reps to get the latest intelligence from the front lines. Which territories are seen as particularly promising, and which ones are the backwaters that no one wants to work and why? Sales people are hyper-aware of opportunities, so take advantage of their insights and intuition to build a stronger sales performance management program.

Make a “living” plan

In the business of sales, you often have to improvise and respond to unforeseen circumstances. A territory plan should be similarly flexible. Be willing to modify your territory plans based on shifts in the economy, changing business priorities, or headcount changes.

Like “sales planning” versus “a sales plan,” territory plans shouldn’t be fixed entities; they should evolve with your sales strategy.

It’s for this reason that cloud-based sales planning tools are crucial for maintaining your territory plans. They’re far more flexible than any other solutions. Massive spreadsheets and legacy systems do not offer flexibility or visibility into scenario-based planning. With a cloud-based tool that gives a view into the whole sales organization, sales leaders can foresee the affects a change in territory or account strategy will have and can focus their teams on the most profitable accounts and regions.

With the right data-driven approach, enhanced collaboration, and the ability to do scenario-based planning, territory and quota plans can better align with overall revenue projections, as well as your organization’s big-picture business strategy.

Sales Capacity Planning

Having the right number of sales people deployed in all of the sales territories and assigned quota targets is critical to capturing all market opportunities and meeting revenue targets.

Sales Capacity Planning allows Sales and HR professionals to plan, model, and optimize the sales capacity and resource requirements, ensuring that the sales organization has complete coverage in all territories, eliminating the risk of unassigned quotas.

Top-down vs. bottom-up capacity planning

• Top-down Sales Capacity Planning: Take the goal and build a model that lists your current team and their quotas, and then add the “to be hired” assets to get enough quota coverage to hit the goal.
• Bottom-up Sales Capacity Planning: Look at your past performance, new information pertinent to the coming year, and your rate limiting factors, and build a model that will predict how much you can do.

Three steps to successful capacity planning

• Align sales capacity and resource requirements with territory and quota plans. Ensure that the sales team is leveraging every opportunity to meet revenue and quota targets.
• Connect sales capacity plans with HR hiring and recruitment plans. Make sure HR is recruiting and hiring the right number of sales reps at the right time for sales onboarding and training.
• Quickly identify sales capacity and resource gaps. Understand the impact of covering all sales territories and attaining quota targets.

How should you prepare for the Sales Planning process?

According to SiriusDecisions, preparation should begin at least 30 days before sales leadership gets together. To prepare, stakeholders should assemble the previous year’s sales and productivity data: customer counts, channel information, revenue by product, revenue by geography or business units, overall profits, costs, and anything else that can help with the processes described above. It’s key that sales leadership validate the data to ensure that it’s trustworthy.

Once sales leaders have collected data, they should comb through it to locate problem areas. Observing data in different time dimensions (yearly, quarterly, monthly) can help isolate trends, and potential areas of future success.

Before sales planning meetings, trends and conclusions drawn from the data should be packaged in a reader-friendly format and distributed to all stakeholders with enough time for decision-makers to internalize the results.

What are some best practices for Sales Planning?

Making sales planning easier can sometimes be a matter of adopting best practices and maintaining them as goals change. For example:

• Cross-organization collaboration

Because sales planning is about aligning the nuts and bolts of a sales strategy to corporate goals and objectives, sales planning needs to be viewed as a collaborative and interactive process. Planning meetings should involve stakeholders from across the organization. Be sure to include:

• Sales: CSO, Sales Operations, Sales Enablement
• Marketing: CMO, Marketing Operations
• Product: Head of Product, Product Marketing
• Gain a clear line of sight

To gain a competitive edge, sales leaders need to maintain clear line of sight into the behaviors of their sales reps and the reasons for those behaviors. In many companies, for example, sales reps find that too much of their time is spent on administrative tasks. OpenSymmetry states that that 65 percent of sales leaders report that spending too much time on non-selling activities is a top business issue for sales in the coming year. On the other hand, when companies invest in best-in-class sales performance management solutions, they experience 25 percent lower turnover rates, 36 percent shorter sales cycles, and seven percent more sales reps making their quota.

• Use metrics that matter

The sales organization’s ability to collect valid data over multiple years is critical to sales planning. Advanced technology can help extract nuggets of insight from vast amounts of data.

• Integrate your tools

Tools add efficiency to the sales planning process and make everything more accurate—but only if they are part of an integrated tool kit. To be done right, sales planning requires data from marketing, finance, workforce, and whatever business intelligence tools your organization uses. By adopting better tools, you can calculate territories and quotas much more quickly.

• Retain top talent

According to the BMS Quarterly Sales Index, 56 percent of sales leaders report that retaining good performers will be a big problem for them in the coming year. Adding to the problem is the fact that different companies lose talent for different reasons, which makes it hard to develop a universal solution. Because of this, many sales leaders simply increase salaries, hoping that this will retain the best people. Although this may work in the short term, retaining talent in the long term requires sales leaders to create a culture in which salespeople are able to do their best work.

What is the future of Sales Planning?

As sales organizations develop their sales planning, the more successful ones will adopt the practices described above: turning the yearly sales plan into ongoing sales planning; coordinating stakeholders from across the organization; adopting advanced technology to automate sales planning processes; using modeling capabilities to plan out new territory and quota scenarios.

As the sales world continues to develop, companies who can plan most effectively will be those who continue to beat their competitors. We encourage you to learn more about how sales planning software can help you meet these goals.

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The Sales Playbook of Successful B2B Teams

by Jamie Cleghorn , Jordan Lee , Eliza Kennedy and Randy Huey

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The #1 B2B Sales Strategy Explained Step by Step

B2B sales strategy has undoubtedly shifted over the past few years.

Previously, the goal (as a general rule) was to sell at any cost. It didn’t necessarily matter if the product or service solved a client’s exact pain points, so long as the sale went through.

Then the financial crash happened, changing the entire nature of the customer-seller relationship.

A conversation once dominated and driven by sales reps was wrestled back by customers who, as a result of financial pressure and an unprecedented amount of information available online, became increasingly self-educated on product options and market landscape.

Not only that, but the competition to win their business doubled.

This fact is supported by a recent  Forrester study , which forecasts the US B2B market will be worth over $10.7 trillion by 2023.

So what can we do to get ahead of the competition? What goes into an award-winning B2B sales strategy? And how can I implement it across my sales team?

We will get to that later, but first, let’s define what constitutes B2B sales.  

What is B2B sales?

B2B sales, also known as business to business sales, refer to companies or salespeople who chiefly sell products or services to other businesses rather than to consumers. 

The B2B sales process is often longer and more complex than B2C (business to consumer) as reps negotiate with large teams of decision-makers before  closing the deal .

Sales expert  Shane Gibson  suggests that decision-makers behind the bigger deals typically form a network of any of the following six key players:

• User : People using your product or service daily
• Navigator : The one who can put you in contact with the rest of the “network.”
• Ruler : Final purchase decision-maker(s)
• Protector : Safeguards the company from outside harm, often someone from legal or IT.
• Opposer : The one that makes closing the deal difficult
• Contributor : Third-party advisors, consultants, or trusted colleagues of the “Ruler.”

Selling to such a complex network is going to require a proven business to business sales strategy that uncovers a customer’s needs and puts your organization in a position to execute them.

What is the best B2B sales strategy?

Of the various B2B sales strategy examples around one which particularly stands out is the Discovery Model , a strategy proposed by sales authors Steve Andersen and Dave Stein in their book  Beyond the Sales Process . 

The Discovery Model focuses on gaining a thorough understanding of your customer’s business. Which external drivers are causing them to act? What are their business objectives? Are they facing any internal challenges? What does success look like for each individual in the network?

Achieving this level of customer understanding and alignment allows you to have conversations with your customers that competitors simply aren’t. 

Part One: Getting to Know Your Customer

The first phase of this B2B sales strategy starts with gaining a comprehensive understanding of your customer’s business.

As you begin to invest more time and effort into the discovery process, the stronger the relationship becomes, and the higher your credibility stands. 

CEO of  Top Sales World  Jonathan Farrington puts it as follows:

“Discovery allows us to demonstrate our credibility, knowledge, and commercial bandwidth – before I attempt to sell to you, I will show you that I understand your precise requirements.”

Field sales reps who demonstrate this level of understanding elevate themselves from a “ me too ” supplier position to a “ well, there’s only one option now .” They will be able to step in and offer:

• Credibility : Customers want to do business with someone they can trust and be confident they have their best interests at heart.
• A solution to the problem : Because salespeople understand the inherent needs of the customer, they can show why their product or service is a perfect fit.
• Gain a competitive edge : The better reps understand their customer’s business, the less noisy and crowded it becomes, as more in-depth conversations separate them from the competition.  

This understanding extends to each member of the B2B buyer’s network, too. Each person has a role to play and, therefore, individual goals. Knowing what they are and how to cater to their needs will go a long way in establishing credibility throughout the entire network. 

Part Two: Actionable Awareness

The ultimate goal of Andersen and Stein’s B2B sales strategy is to achieve what they refer to as actionable awareness .

Actionable awareness is, as the authors put it:

“The final stage of data filtration, refinement, and prioritization. It is where data evolves into information, and information evolves into insight at a level where sales reps and account managers can do something with it.” 

With the actionable awareness “distillation” process looking something like this:

Despite us now living in the age of “big data,” this process can be extremely challenging.

It’s easy to be misguided by the concept that all data is good data when it comes to customers. While the “more the merrier” concept applies under certain circumstances, such as initial prospection and early-phase conversation, too much data often leads to  analysis paralysis .

Field reps and managers can get so caught up in over-analyzing each tiny detail that they miss the bigger picture, and fail to offer up any actionable insight.

For example, go back to the last customer account review one of your colleagues presented.

Compare how much time they spent extrapolating points easily found on the web, versus usable data on growing the account’s value, current market share, and how they planned to strengthen the relationship moving forward.

I’d wager the former took a sizeable chunk of time from the presentation.

This isn’t to criticize account manager reviews, but rather highlight that as companies increase investments in  AI sales enablement tools , providing teams with ever-increasing quantities of data, occasionally we should take a step back to review how this data will be used.

Fortunately for us, there’s a plan to cut through the noise!

Part Three: What Does the Customer Want to Talk About?

Remember, the overall goal of this  sales strategy plan  is actionable awareness. This means salespeople need to focus on understanding what customers care about , not the product, its features, supposed benefits, and any other noise that distracts them from this goal.

Andersen and Stein broke the most common customer concerns into four groups:

External Drivers

Any outside influences that cause your customers to modify, change, or in some way, adapt their business can be considered an external driver.

The ability to uphold a conversation about one or any of these factors demonstrates your willingness to go deep into a few challenges specific to the customer’s business. 

Some examples of external drivers are:

Customer base : Their customers may be changing their buying habits, perhaps shifting over from retail to online.

Regulation : If your customer’s industry is subject to heavy regulation, either from a change in government policies or compliance rules, then this could be a potential external factor.

Shareholders : Most companies have shareholders who want results and want them now, forcing senior management to act with a sense of urgency.

Competition : Is pressure being exerted by a new competitor? Is an existing competitor releasing a new product that would make your customer’s obsolete?

Economy: Every business is at mercy to the shifting tides of the global economy, some more so than others. Perhaps your customer is particularly vulnerable to such sudden change?  

Business Objectives

This area of the conversation focuses on your customer’s planned response to the external drivers mentioned above.      

An experienced salesperson will be able to uncover which of the external drivers take priority and align the business’s response with their solution.

Typically, the customer is looking to do one of three things:

• Increase revenue . This could be through the release of a new product or service, a  customer retention campaign , raise prices on an existing offering, etc. The customer will be thinking of the return on investment (ROI) of such an action and offsetting it against any incurred costs.
• Reduce cost . This would include activities such as reducing a product’s time-to-market, increasing efficiency through the  digitization of sales processes , narrow customer focus, etc. 
• Reduce risk . Not just mitigating financial, internal, and price safety risk, but this could extend to consolidating services under a single supplier. It is, therefore, a salesperson’s job to show customers that their product or service is significantly less “risky” than any of the alternatives.

Ultimately, salespeople will want to help customers improve all three of the above if possible, and the more trustworthy and credible they become, the less risk a customer perceives of entering business with them.

Internal Challenges

This step is about understanding if any internal barriers stop a customer from achieving any of their above objectives. 

Is there an “ opposer ” within the buyer’s network? If trying to integrate a new software plug-in, is the IT team blocking its installation? Or perhaps there is an issue with the manufacturing process stopping them from ramping up production?

Whatever the case may be, it is hugely advantageous for salespeople to uncover these internal challenges. Even if not in a position to directly influence a positive outcome, reps will, at the very least, understand a customer’s train of thought when approaching certain subjects.

If there is indeed an opposer within the B2B buyer’s network, try and find out the reasons behind their objections. 

Appease to their concerns with a calm, positive attitude. That way, if their objections are purely emotional, they’ll be forced to counter you with logical, business-first arguments. 

Success Criteria

What does success look like in your customer’s eyes? Not just at an organizational level, but at a personal level, too.

As we’ve already touched upon, most B2B sales strategies require dealing with a network of people, rather than a single entity. 

Each member will have a departmental objective that filters into the overall corporate agenda, or “bigger picture” goal. The more salespeople interact with different members of the committee, the better they’ll understand what’s at stake for them individually.

This, of course, takes time. If the sales rep isn’t introduced to all key members of the B2B buyer’s network, it’s highly unlikely they’ll be receptive to such a direct question. However, once they establish a healthy relationship, salespeople will need to understand what individual success looks like for each key member.

If they can arrive at that level of understanding, it puts them in a commanding position. 

Connecting their company’s business solutions to individual department-line objectives puts a significant degree of separation between themselves and the competition.

Part Four: Open, Closed and Leading Questions

Unless you are fortunate enough to be presented with a guide to all your customer’s pain points, wants, and needs, like the rest of us, you will have to do a little digging.

The best way to do this is by asking questions. 

As Stein and Andersen point out, however, most field-based reps ask overly technical questions of their customers. 

Due to the high levels of product training they receive, this is normal, but the issue is they often lose sight of the value these products offer the customer.

And it’s this value that customers are searching for. They are looking for how your proposal can bring them closer to their needs and requirements as an organization.

To engage in a meaningful conversation with a prospective customer, salespeople need to ask a combination of open-ended, closed, and leading questions – just as they would in a day-to-day conversation with their partner.

So, what is the difference between open-ended, closed, leading questions?

• Open-ended questions are those that require more than a one-word answer.
• Closed questions are answered with a simple yes, or no.
• Leading questions prompt or encourage a specific answer.

You can find some sales-specific examples below:

It’s important to understand that this more than a simple exchange of data. It’s an opportunity for sales reps to gain insight and knowledge about a customer’s needs. Without this knowledge, it is impossible to align a solution with their business.      

So to tie it all together, the Discovery Model B2B sales strategy is all about getting a real feeling for the customer’s business. What are their external drivers for change, their objectives, internal barriers, and long-term vision for success? To achieve that, salespeople need to ask a variety of questions appropriate to the individual members of the B2B buyer’s network.

Done correctly and with a little time and patience, you’ll soon find yourself dealing in a less crowded, more collaborative space with your customers. 

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How To Create a B2B Sales Plan in 2024 [Free Template]

Need help creating a B2B sales plan that aligns with your business goals? You’ve come to the right place. Whether you need help creating a sales plan or want to improve it, we’re here to help. 

When you work in sales, you understand that you can have the best team, and be the best salesperson, but without a solid sales plan, there will be no success. A good sales plan provides a team with a roadmap for achieving sales goals. It effectively outlines the strategies, tactics, and actions needed to achieve results. Whether you’re a salesperson going 20 years strong in the game, a sales manager, or even fresh out of college—  every salesperson can benefit from having a well-organized, actionable sales plan. So, let’s get started.

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What is a Sales Plan?

A sales plan is a comprehensive document that outlines how your business will achieve its sales goals. It’s more than “just a document” – it’s an extensive framework outlining specific targets, tactics, and strategies to reach sales goals and the resources required. A sales plan is instrumental in aligning your sales team’s efforts with your overall business strategy, ensuring that everyone is working towards a common goal within a specific time frame.

In the B2B market, a sales plan takes on added complexity due to longer sales cycles, the importance of relationship building, and typically higher transaction values. It demands a deeper understanding of client businesses, their industry, and their specific challenges. 

Advantages of a Sales Plan

There are numerous benefits to creating a sales plan, despite it seeming like an extra step in the busy world of sales. Let’s highlight why having a well-thought-out sales plan is a game-changer for your business:

• Direction and Clarity: A sales plan provides clear direction for your team. It outlines specific goals and the steps needed to achieve them, eliminating confusion and keeping everyone on the same page.
• Resource Optimization: With a sales plan, you can allocate resources more effectively, ensuring that your team’s efforts and budget are focused on high-impact activities.
• Enhanced Accountability: A detailed plan assigns specific tasks and objectives to team members, fostering a sense of responsibility and accountability for achieving targets.
• Better Tracking and Measurement: A sales plan allows you to track progress against predefined goals, making it easier to measure success and identify areas for improvement.
• Increased Adaptability: By regularly reviewing your sales plan, you can quickly adapt to market changes, customer needs, and internal business shifts, keeping your sales strategy agile and responsive.

By understanding these benefits, you can approach sales planning not just as a formality, but as a strategic tool that empowers your team and drives business growth.

What is the Process of Creating a B2B Sales Plan?

You might be wondering, “Is there seriously a process in making a plan?” And the answer is absolutely, and it’s a crucial one. The preparation process is like laying the foundation for your solid sales plan. First off, take a good, hard look at where your business stands. What’s been working? What hasn’t? This is about getting real with your past performance and learning from it.

Next up, it’s time for some detective work – market research. Get the lowdown on industry trends , what your competitors are up to, and who your ideal customers are. This isn’t just busy work; it’s gathering the intel you need to make smart, informed decisions in your sales plan.

The process can be broken down into four essential steps:

• Analyze and Set Goals
• Develop Strategies
• Implement Tactics and Allocate Resources
• Monitor, Review, and Adapt

How to Plan for Success and Realistic Results

When planning for success, being realistic is key. It’s essential to set ambitious goals, but they must be grounded in reality. This means considering the potential challenges your industry might face, like economic downturns or shifts in market demand. It also involves acknowledging your team’s capabilities and limitations, including increased churn. Unrealistic goals can lead to frustration and demotivation, while achievable targets can keep your team motivated and focused.

Planning for realistic results also means being adaptable. The B2B market can be unpredictable, with shifts in industry trends, regulatory changes, and technological advancements. Your sales plan should be flexible enough to accommodate these changes. Regular reviews and adjustments to the plan are crucial to stay aligned with the evolving market conditions. This adaptability ensures that your team remains agile and responsive, able to tackle challenges and seize new opportunities as they arise.

What is Your Sales Plan Goal?

Defining the goal of your sales plan is about understanding what success looks like for your business. It’s crucial to have a clear vision of what you aim to achieve with your sales efforts. This could range from increasing market share, launching a new product successfully, expanding into new territories, or boosting customer retention rates.

Your sales plan goal should align with your overall business objectives and reflect your company’s vision and values. It should be specific enough to provide direction and broad enough to allow for growth and adaptation. A well-defined goal serves as a benchmark for success, helping you measure the effectiveness of your sales plan. It provides your team with a clear target to aim for and a sense of purpose, driving all efforts towards a common objective.

Sales Plan vs. Sales Strategy

So, between a sales plan and a sales strategy , what’s the difference? If you’ve ever created both and wondered how they differ, let’s clear that up.

A sales strategy is your overarching blueprint. It’s the groundwork of your sales efforts, defining the foundation of how you’ll reach your market and stand above your competitors. Think of it as the guiding principle behind your sales operations. It sets the tone for how your team approaches sales, focusing on long-term goals like market positioning, customer segmentation, and overall direction.

Meanwhile, a sales plan is more about execution. It’s your roadmap for putting the sales strategy into action. This plan dives into the specifics – setting sales targets, defining the steps to hit those targets, and allocating resources. It’s about the who, what, when, and how of your daily sales activities, structured around achieving the objectives outlined in your sales strategy.

Types of Sales Plans

Now that we’ve covered the basics of what a sales plan is, let’s explore the various types of sales plans available. Selecting the right type of sales plan is crucial for achieving your B2B sales goals. Each type of plan serves a different purpose and suits different aspects of your business strategy.

Focus Planning:

Focus Planning in sales targets specific aspects or objectives within your sales strategy, ensuring a concentrated approach to different areas of your business.

• Strategic Sales Plan : Focuses on long-term goals and broad strategies for market expansion and new product introductions.
• Tactical Sales Plan : Details short-term actions and tactics to meet immediate sales targets, acting as a playbook for the near future.
• Operational Sales Plan : Involves day-to-day management of the sales team, handling budgets, and aligning tasks with larger sales goals.
• Account-Based Sales Plan : Targets specific, high-value accounts with tailored strategies to maximize the value of each key client relationship.

Time-Frame Planning:

Time-frame planning aligns sales activities with specific periods, ensuring that strategies are timely and goals are met within set intervals.

• Annual Sales Plan : Outlines the company’s long-term goals for sales over the next year.
• Quarterly Sales Plan : Breaks down annual goals into quarterly targets for more focused and adaptable strategies.
• Monthly Sales Plan : Provides month-to-month tactics and goals, so you can react quickly to market changes

Selecting the right sales plan or mix of plans for your business and executing them with precision is the key to success, ensuring that your sales efforts are effective and aligned with your company.

How to Write a Sales Plan

Writing a sales plan can seem daunting, but it’s really about breaking down your big strategy. In addition, creating a successful sales plan requires not just strategic insight, but also effective collaboration and clear writing. Here are some tips to help you craft a sales plan that is both comprehensive and easily understandable:

• Break Down the Plan into Actionable Steps
• Use Simple, Jargon-Free Language
• Encourage Feedback and Collaboration

Remember, a good sales plan is clear, concise, and above all, actionable. It should serve as a clear guide for your team, so they know exactly what needs to be done and when. And if you need more help, we’ve outlined how to create a B2B sales plan in the next section, so read on. 

How To Create a B2B Sales Plan  

Now that we’ve covered the essentials of what a sales plan is and its various types, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and tackle the creation of a B2B sales plan. This isn’t just about jotting down some goals and strategies; it’s about crafting a detailed, actionable roadmap that will guide your team to achieve real, measurable results. So, let’s walk through the key steps to create a B2B sales plan that resonates with your business objectives and propels your team toward success.

Step 1: Create or Revisit Your Mission Statement

First things first, let’s talk about your mission statement. If you haven’t got one, now’s the perfect time to craft a statement that captures the spirit of your business. Why does your business exist? What are its core values? If you already have a mission statement, dust it off and give it a thorough review. The goal here is to ensure that your sales plan is a direct reflection of your business’s core purpose and values. Your mission statement will serve as a guide throughout the sales planning process, ensuring that every goal and action is aligned with what your business truly stands for.

Step 2: Define Your Target Market

With your mission statement as your guide, identify who your ideal customers are.  Learn as much as you can about your ideal customer. This is about going beyond basic demographics. Dive into the specifics – what challenges do your potential clients face, and how can your product or service address these challenges? Understanding your target market is critical for tailoring your sales approach effectively. This step is about honing in on your market segment and understanding the nuances that drive their purchasing decisions.

Step 3: Conduct a SWOT Analysis

A SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) of your business in relation to the target market provides invaluable insights. What are the strengths that you can leverage? What weaknesses need to be addressed? Are there untapped opportunities in the market? What threats should you be aware of? This analysis will help you build a sales plan that’s both realistic and ambitious.

Step 4: Set Clear, Measurable Goals

What exactly do you want to achieve with your sales plan? Set specific, measurable goals. Whether it’s increasing revenue by a certain percentage, acquiring a set number of new clients, or expanding into a new market, your goals should be clear and measurable. This makes tracking progress and monitoring success straightforward.

Step 5: Develop Your Sales Strategies

Remember when we compared a sales plan to a sales strategy? This is where strategy comes into play! Based on your understanding of the target market and your set goals, develop the sales strategies that will get you there. This might include direct sales, digital marketing campaigns, attending trade shows , or leveraging partnerships. Each strategy should align with your overall business objectives and be tailored to your target market.

Daily activity expectations should be outlined as well. The number of phone calls, prospecting emails, and LinkedIn messages should be written down, reviewed with your sales team, and agreed upon so that daily metrics are hit consistently, producing consistent results.

Finally, choose a selling system your team will use to win clients: Sandler, Spin Selling, Dale Carnegie, and many others are available. The system is important, but more importantly, for you as the leader, you must declare that you have a system in which your team will learn, master, and execute.

Step 6: Outline the Sales Tactics

Now, break down your strategies into specific tactics. This is the action part of your plan. What steps will you take to implement your strategies? This could involve setting up a series of targeted email campaigns, scheduling sales calls, or developing a referral program. Each tactic should have a clear owner and a timeline.

In addition, using your selling system as a basis, you can write down your sales process and exactly how you expect reps to proceed through a sales call. Start by asking yourself, “What 5 questions do I want my team to ask on every sales call”.. then with that information, your team can build solutions based on customer needs.

Step 7: Allocate Resources

For your plan to be actionable, you need to allocate the necessary resources. This includes budget, list-building tools, LinkedIn, personnel, CRM software, and other sales enablement tools. You also want to have a meal and travel budget for times your reps must visit clients to seal the deal! Overall, you must ensure that each element of your sales plan is backed by the resources needed to execute it effectively.

Step 8: Monitor and Adapt

Finally, a sales plan is not set in stone. The market can change, and so can your business’s internal dynamics. Set up regular intervals to review the progress of your sales plan. Be prepared to adapt and tweak your strategies and tactics in response to market feedback and changing business conditions. Effective monitoring helps you stay on track, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions to keep your sales efforts aligned with your goals.

Ready-To-Use B2B Sales Plan Template

To make your journey in creating a B2B sales plan smoother, we’ve developed a ready-to-use template. This template is designed to guide you through each step of the sales planning process, ensuring you cover all the essentials.

Making a Sales Plan Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated

We know, we just went through a lot of steps and considerations for creating a sales plan. But here’s the thing: it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Whether you’re a seasoned salesperson or a business owner, you know your goals, your values, and what you stand for. With that as your foundation, building a plan that suits your needs and drives results becomes much more straightforward.

Looking to connect with high-quality buyers? 360Connect can help. Join our supplier network , and see how we can help take your business to the next level.

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B2B Sales: Strategy, Examples and 12 Best Practices

B2B sales means selling products or services to other businesses, not to individual consumers. In this type of sales, things are more complicated. It takes longer to complete a sale, and the amount of money involved is usually higher than in sales to individual customers.

Understanding B2B Customers

Knowing your customers is a critical component of successful B2B sales. Here’s an overview of key aspects to consider:

• Target Market: Know who your ideal customers are. Determine the industries, company sizes, and types of businesses that would benefit most.
• Customer Needs: To succeed in B2B sales, you need to know your customers’ challenges, goals, and problems. This understanding allows you to tailor your sales approach and solutions effectively.
• Decision-Making Process: B2B purchasing decisions often involve multiple stakeholders. To understand this process, know the decision-makers, influencers, and what matters most to them.
• Buyer Persona: A detailed buyer personas can help in understanding your typical customers. This should mention the job, industry problems, goals, and desired solutions.
• Customer Feedback: Regularly collect and analyze feedback from your customers. This feedback is very important. It helps us understand their experiences with our product or service. It also tells us what improvements we can make.
• Market Trends: Stay informed about trends and changes in the industries you serve. This knowledge helps in anticipating customer needs and adapting your offerings accordingly.

Making a sale is important, but so is building trust and creating value. It’s about establishing a partnership that benefits both parties for a long time.

The B2B Sales Process

Breaking down the B2B sales process into steps clarifies how to close a sale in a business-to-business context. 

This breakdown provides a general framework for navigating the B2B sales process .  The steps can change based on the industry, product complexity, and business model.  To complete each step, you need certain skills and strategies. 

1. Prospecting

To start, find potential customers (leads) who may want your product or service. You can do this in many ways, such as networking, referrals, cold calling, email campaigns, and social media outreach.

2. Qualifying Leads

After making a list of potential customers, you need to qualify leads and assess their suitability. To see if a customer needs your product, check their budget, decision-making power, and purchase timeline.

3. Needs Assessment

Engage with the qualified leads to understand their specific needs, challenges, and goals. This step usually includes detailed discussions or meetings. You need good listening and questioning skills to understand how your product can solve their problems.

4. Developing a Solution

Once you have all the information about what they need, make a solution or proposal just for their challenges.

5. Presentation or Proposal

Present your company and solution to the decision-makers. This could be in the form of a formal presentation, a detailed proposal, or a product demonstration. The key is to articulate the benefits and ROI of your solution.

6. Handling Objections

After presenting your solution, prospects may have sales objections or concerns. To handle these issues, give more details, assurances, or adjust your proposal accordingly.

7. Closing the Sale / Deal

After addressing objections and satisfying the prospect, proceed to finalizing the sale. To complete the process, we need to finalize the terms, sign contracts, and prepare for delivery or implementation.

8. Post-Sale Relationship Management

After you make a sale, keep in touch with the customer to make sure they are happy and build a lasting relationship. To keep customers coming back and referring others, it’s important to take this step. It helps build a loyal network.

B2B Sales Strategies

Business-to-business sales use different strategies to engage with clients and close deals. The strategies used depend on the product or service, sales cycle, and target market.

Each of these strategies can be effective depending on the context and goals of the sales effort. Here are some common B2B sales strategies :

Solution Selling

This approach helps solve a problem that a potential client has. Sales representatives present their products or services as the answer to these problems. They focus on the advantages and results, not just the features.

Consultative Selling

In consultative sales the salesperson acts like a consultant. First, they learn about the customer’s business, challenges, and needs. Then, they suggest solutions that meet these requirements, tailoring their offerings.

Account-Based Selling (ABS)

ABS involves targeting high-value accounts or companies rather than individual leads. The sales, marketing, and customer service teams need to work together. They will create personalized buying experiences for every account.

Value-Based

This strategy is about showing customers how the product or service will help their business. The benefits are measured in ROI, efficiency gains, revenue growth, or cost savings.

Challenger Sale

This approach teaches customers new things about their business. It tailors solutions to their needs and takes control of the sales conversation.

SPIN Selling

An acronym for Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-Payoff. SPIN selling uses specific questions to help customers understand their needs and the value of the solution.

Inbound Selling

Focuses on creating and sharing content that draws customers in. In Inbound Sales , Salespeople don’t reach out to customers. They attract leads through content marketing, SEO, and solving online problems.

Referral Selling

Using existing customers to generate new leads. We ask happy customers to recommend their business contacts, building trust and creating new opportunities.

Vertical Selling

Specializing in a specific industry or vertical market. Sales representatives become experts in the unique challenges and needs of that industry. This expertise enables them to use more effective and targeted selling strategies.

Challenges in B2B Sales

To succeed in B2B sales, it’s important to overcome challenges. Here are some typical challenges and strategies to address them:

Long Sales Cycles

B2B sales often involve lengthy decision-making processes.

Many Decision Makers

B2B purchases usually need approval from several stakeholders.

Product Differentiation

In crowded markets, it can be challenging to stand out.

Negotiation

Price is often a sticking point in B2B transactions.

Generating Qualified Leads

Finding leads that are a good fit for your product can be difficult.

Building Trust with Prospects

Trust is a critical component in B2B sales.

Customer Retention

Keeping existing customers engaged and satisfied is as important as acquiring new ones.

Aligning Sales and Marketing

Misalignment between these two functions can lead to lost opportunities.

12 Best Practices

Implementing these best practices can help B2B sales professionals build more effective, efficient, and customer-friendly sales processes, ultimately leading to increased sales success and customer loyalty.

Here are some key best practices to consider:

1. Customer-Centric Approach

Always put the customer’s needs and challenges at the center of your sales strategy. Understand their business, pain points, and how your solution can help.

2. Build Strong Relationships

Focus on building long-term relationships rather than just closing a sale. Trust is vital in B2B sales.

3. Educate and Consult

Position yourself as a knowledgeable advisor who can provide valuable insights and solutions, not just a seller of products or services.

4. Leverage Data and Analytics

Use data to gain insights into customer behavior, preferences, and needs. Analytics can help in tailoring your approach and improving decision-making.

5. Learning and Adaptation

Stay informed about industry trends, changes in customer needs, and advancements in sales technology. Be willing to adapt your strategies as needed.

6. CRM Tools

Use Customer Relationship Management tools to track interactions, manage customer information, and automate tasks to increase efficiency.

7. Personalization

Tailor your communication and solutions to the specific needs of each client. Personalization can significantly increase the effectiveness of your sales efforts.

8. Focus on Value, Not Price

Emphasize the value and ROI of your solution. Help the customer understand how your product or service can positively impact their business.

9. Collaboration Across Teams

Ensure alignment between sales, marketing, customer service, and other departments. A cohesive approach can lead to more consistent and effective customer experiences.

10. After-Sales Service

After closing a sale, continue to engage with the customer. Follow-up and excellent after-sales service are key to customer retention and referrals.

11. Professional Development 

Invest in training and development for your sales team. Continuous skill enhancement is essential in the evolving landscape of B2B sales.

12. Networking

Take part in industry events, conferences, and forums. Networking can open up new opportunities and provide valuable insights.

Case studies of B2B sales

Case studies of successful B2B sales provide valuable insights into effective sales strategies and practices. Here are three “hypothetical” examples that illustrate different aspects of successful B2B sales:

Tech Startup

A small tech startup developed an innovative cloud-based analytics tool. 

Problem:  The new company had a hard time getting noticed because big, established companies controlled the market.

Strategy : They used account-based marketing (ABM) to focus on a few big companies with personalized marketing and direct outreach.

Result : The startup secured a contract with a Fortune 500 company, leading to a significant increase in credibility and exposure in the industry.

Manufacturing Company

A mid-sized manufacturing company specializing in industrial machinery. 

Problem:  Facing stagnant growth in a competitive market.

Strategy : They changed to a consultative selling method. They try to understand their clients’ needs and give customized solutions.

Result : The company grew its market share, forming good relationships with important customers and gaining new ones.

SaaS Company

A company offering Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions for business management. 

Problem:  High competition and difficulty in differentiating their service offerings.

Strategy : The company wanted to make customers happy, hear their thoughts, and make their platform better.

Result : Their dedication to making customers happy caused more people to recommend them, which led to more sales.

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A top guide to business to business sales, process, strategy, and examples

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What is B2B sales, and what strategies can you use to maximize your success?

Whether you’re a B2B-native startup or an established direct-to-consumer company pivoting to B2B sales, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about B2B.

From the benefits and types of B2B sales to key best practices, strategies, and more, let’s dive into the world of business-to-business selling.

Key takeaways

• B2B sales models drive benefits like increased brand awareness, customer loyalty, reliable revenue, and higher average order value.
• The B2B sales process involves several key stages : prospecting, qualifying, connecting, pitching, and closing.
• Implement key strategies like account-based selling, content marketing, and social selling.
• Utilize B2B sales metrics to track success and improve your sales strategy.
• Embrace technology and resources to automate and streamline your sales process.

What is B2B sales?

First things first: how do we define B2B sales? B2B sales, or business-to-business sales, describe the complex process of delivering products, services, or SaaS to another business.

In other words, it’s when a business sells to a company rather than an individual consumer.

Compared to B2C (business-to-customer) selling, B2B selling is much more complex.

It involves unique activities like in-depth company research, cold calling and emailing, face-to-face communications, sales demos, and contractual agreements.

Why is B2B sales important?

When salespeople aren’t given clear direction, it can stall sales and stunt business growth.

A B2B sales strategy presents salespeople with a roadmap to success, outlining the approach, techniques, and tactics that successfully drive prospects to conversion.

4 benefits of B2B sales

Is expanding into B2B sales worth it? The answer very much depends on your specific industry, customer base, and product/service.

But there’s no denying that B2B sales can unlock lucrative opportunities, regardless of whether you fully, or partially, expand into B2B.

Here are 4 standout benefits:

• Higher average order values (AOV): B2B customers buy in large quantities rather than single units, drastically boosting your AOV and revenue.
• Customer loyalty: B2B customers boast high customer lifetime values. They make consistent purchases and refer your brand to others. Sales professionals surveyed by Hubspot in their State of Sales report revealed that 33% of their high-quality leads came from referrals from existing customers.
• Reliable revenue: Because B2B buyers aren’t as fickle as B2C buyers, you can rely on them to make regular orders, generating predictable revenue.
• Boosted brand awareness: Expanding into B2B introduces you to a whole new market. You can reach customers via new channels, such as Linkedin, wholesale marketplaces, and industry events.

What are examples of B2B sales?

B2B sales vary depending on the industry and the type of product or service that you’re selling.

Generally, though, we can split them into three categories.

So, what are the three main types of B2B sales?

Supplier sales

B2B companies that partake in supplier sales sell operational consumables to other businesses.

This includes everything from office supplies, like pens, paper, and printers, to heavy-duty equipment like trucks and concrete mixers.

Unlike B2C, B2B supplier sales are made in large quantities.

For example, a B2B company might sell 20 printers to a law firm or 50 trucks to a construction company.

Wholesale distribution sales

B2B wholesalers sell bulk raw materials to other businesses or retailers for a discounted price.

They usually act as the middle-man between the manufacturer and the retailer.

Take wholesale food distributors, for example.

Sysco, the largest food distributor in the U.S., purchases food directly from the manufacturer.

These ingredients are then sold in large quantities to restaurants, fast food outlets, and hotels.

Service and software sales

In the digital era, software and service sales make up a significant chunk of B2B sales models.

A B2B company can sell its software-as-a-service (SaaS) tools as well as its professional expertise to other businesses.

For example, an SEO agency might sell its services to businesses looking to increase their organic traffic.

The agency might perform services like keyword research, technical audits, and content optimization.

B2B marketing automation is one of the main SaaS offerings that you’ll come across.

PandaDoc, for example, provides document automation software that helps businesses create efficient document workflows.

What’s the difference between B2B sales and B2C sales?

The overarching difference between B2B and B2C sales is their target customer.

Business-to-consumer (B2C) companies sell directly to consumers. B2B companies sell exclusively to other businesses.

This brings about several key differences between the B2C and B2B sales processes.

Let’s cover some of the main ones:

Sales cycle length and complexity

While B2C customers can make spontaneous, impulsive purchases, B2B purchases are made strategically to reduce financial risk.

As a result, the B2B sales process is much more complex and lengthy.

It involves long-term relationship-building, establishing trust, identifying complex needs to determine provider/product fit, proposal development, and negotiations.

Number of decision-makers

For a B2B purchase to go ahead, it needs to be approved by several decision-makers.

So, B2B companies often communicate with stakeholders across an organizational hierarchy, from high-level executives to managers.

This is in stark contrast to B2C purchases, where the purchasing power tends to lie with one or two individuals.

Decision-making factors

70% of B2C buying decisions are driven by emotion, according to Gallup. But the same can’t be said for B2B.

B2B buying decisions are based primarily on logic.

So, instead of emotionally charged storytelling, B2B companies must present customers with the facts they need to make informed decisions.

This includes statistics, in-depth case studies, B2B webinars , white papers, and product demos.

What is a B2B sales representative?

B2B sales representatives seek, build, and nurture relationships with corporate stakeholders with the end goal of selling them a product or service.

They can be split up into two different types: B2B outside sales reps and B2B inside sales reps.

What’s the difference between B2B outside sales reps and B2B inside sales reps?

B2B outside sales reps communicate, negotiate, and close deals with customers in person.

While they may still have a physical office base, most of their time is spent traveling to meet with clients and prospects.

They also speak at industry events and trade shows.

B2B inside sales reps do all their relationship-building, negotiating, and selling from their office or home desk.

All communication happens remotely via phone calls, emails, video conferencing, and instant messaging.

Inside and outside sales reps leverage different sales techniques and skills.

Outside sales reps rely on excellent face-to-face communication skills and product expertise to build authentic relationships, establish trust, and guide clients down the sales funnel.

Inside sales professionals still need exceptional communication skills.

However, they must become experts at building customer relationships via email, telephone, and video.

But which one is more effective, inside or outside B2B sales ?

Truthfully, you shouldn’t have one without the other.

McKinsey’s latest B2B Pulse Survey tells us that B2B customers want in-person, remote, and digital self-service interactions equally throughout the buying journey.

So, opting for a hybrid model is a good idea.

What is the B2B sales process?

The B2B sales process describes the steps B2B companies must take to find high-quality leads and convert them into customers.

While B2B sales methods might vary depending on the industry, there are seven essential steps: prospecting, qualifying, connecting, pitching, objection-handling, closing, and nurturing.

We’ll explore the B2B sales process steps in more depth in a moment. First, let’s answer a common question: is a B2B sales process the same as a B2B sales funnel?

What is a B2B sales funnel?

The B2B sales funnel refers to the sequence of stages that B2B buyers move through as they journey from prospect to paying customer.

So, instead of mapping the actions of sellers, it maps the actions of buyers.

The B2B sales cycle in 7 steps

So, what are the seven B2B sales cycle stages? Let’s walk through them.

Prospecting clients

Sales prospecting for B2B is similar to — but not the same as — lead generation.

Like lead generation, sales prospecting involves sourcing new leads that have the potential to become paying customers.

However, unlike lead generation’s continuous, one-to-many communication strategy, sales prospecting takes a more immediate, one-to-one approach.

Using inbound and outbound prospecting methods, sales reps can research and identify prospects that match their ideal customer profile (ICP) .

They might leverage digital channels, like content and social media marketing.

Or, they might use cold calling or emailing strategies or prospect suitable clients during in-person industry events.

The aim of sales prospecting is to find leads who closely match your ICP.

Your ICP should define the characteristics of your ideal customer: their industry, budget, size, pain points, and goals.

Qualifying the lead

Once you’ve generated suitable leads, it’s time to qualify them.

This involves digging deeper into companies to determine their likelihood of conversion. In doing so, you can identify and prioritize high-quality leads.

Sales reps can qualify leads either in person or via phone or email.

The process involves asking key qualifying questions such as:

• What is your role in the company? This helps sales reps establish the decision-making authority of the individual they contact.
• What is your budget? Ask this question to determine whether the company has the financial viability to become a customer.
• What are your business’s needs, challenges, and goals? This helps you see where your product or service could be positioned as a solution.
• Why is this a priority? Determining the driving force behind the buying process can help you offer prompt solutions to urgent issues, speeding up conversions.

Connecting with the prospect

Through your chosen method of communication, connect with potential customers to grow more familiar with their specific needs, challenges, pain points, and goals.

The aim here is to go beyond the surface level so that you can tailor your offering to meet their unique needs.

Pitching the offer

Of all the B2B sales stages, pitching your product or service is the most make-or-break.

It’s where your sales representatives put together a presentation that showcases what your solution can do for the company.

Every pitch should be tailored to the client’s individual use case.

The features and benefits you communicate should directly align with the prospect’s unique needs and address their pain points.

So, it’s vital that salespeople are armed with in-depth product expertise and extensive customer data before they deliver the pitch.

Handling objections

Clients are bound to have questions and reservations.

Maybe they lack the budget, urgency, or need to invest in your product.

Perhaps they’re worried that your product is too complex or express uncertainty over your solution’s ROI potential.

Whatever the case, salespeople should proactively anticipate these objections .

From there, they can use active listening skills, empathy, and their vast product expertise to build trust and alleviate concerns.

Closing the deal

Closing a sale is the end goal of the sales process.

It’s where you and your client iron out the terms of the sale to eventually reach a contractual agreement.

Activities might include delivering a proposal, negotiating price and payment terms, and drafting a contract .

Nurturing into loyalty

The hard work doesn’t end once you’ve finalized the deal.

Just like B2C selling, you’ll need to onboard new customers to ensure that they extract the maximum value from your product.

You should also nurture customer loyalty through regular follow-ups , personalized content, cross-selling and upselling, and feedback requests .

Top B2B sales strategies and techniques that work

B2B sales techniques aim to help you increase brand awareness, trust, and conversions.

But which ones are the most effective?

Here are three key strategies that every business needs in their B2B sales plan .

Content marketing

More than ever, B2B buyers rely on content to make purchasing decisions.

In fact, B2B content consumption has grown by over 18% in the past year.

The content formats most likely to drive buying decisions include reports, live webinars, how-to guides, and e-books.

So, create compelling, informative content to boost conversions.

Social selling

Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook to build awareness and relationships.

Along with referrals, social media is the most effective strategy for acquiring high-quality leads.

So, follow your lead’s social media accounts to gain insights into their company and share engaging content on the platforms they’re active on.

Account-based selling (ABS)

ABS is a B2B sales management technique that focuses on identifying and targeting high-value prospects.

This method recognizes the revenue potential of prioritizing accounts that fit the ICP.

Therefore, sales teams can optimize resources and concentrate on offering customized solutions to high-value leads.

6 best B2B sales tips

What else can you do to improve B2B sales performance? Here are six B2B sales best practices:

• Create ideal customer profiles: The more detailed, the better.
• Focus on benefits over features: Customers are more interested in how your product can help them.
• Showcase customer feedback: Encourage and display customer testimonials, case studies, and reviews.
• Arrange face-to-face meetings with decision-makers: In person or via video, try to build rapport with decision-makers through a face-to-face conversation.
• Present companies with options: 58% of B2B buyers want the opportunity to choose between a selection of offerings from a company.
• Provide continuous employee training: Ensure sales teams possess comprehensive product knowledge and are up-to-date with industry trends, challenges, sales techniques, etc.

What are the most important B2B sales metrics?

There are lots of different sales metrics you could track, but which ones are the most important?

Here are the sales metrics and KPIs that you should be keeping an eye on.

• Win rate: How many sales opportunities generate conversions?
• Net profit: This calculates your total profit once all expenses have been deducted.
• Sales pipeline velocity: How long does it take for prospects to move through your sales pipeline? According to the aforementioned Hubspot research, 21% of sales teams say that shortening the sales cycle is a top current priority.
• Average deal size: This metric represents the average amount converted customers spend on your solution.
• Customer acquisition cost (CAC): CAC calculates how much it costs to acquire new customers.
• Sales productivity KPIs: How long does it take your sales reps to hit their targets and move through the sales process? This could refer to things like phone call length or email response times.
• New leads by source: Which channels and campaigns generate the most leads?

Chances are, there are a bunch of other B2B sales metrics that you might find useful.

Other B2B sales examples include sales qualified leads, customer lifetime value, and churn rate.

How important is data in B2B sales?

Data is the key to analyzing the success of your B2B sales strategy.

It gives you concrete information to monitor sales team performance, optimize your sales techniques, and create sales forecasts .

Even more fundamentally, though, data presents in-depth insights into the needs and pain points of your customers.

73% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations.

Collecting and analyzing customer data empowers you to identify the needs of high-quality prospects and proactively tailor your offer to meet these needs.

How can technology help with B2B sales?

Technology isn’t just supporting B2B sales — it’s transforming it.

Artificial intelligence. Machine learning. Cloud communications.

In equal measures, these technologies have driven and responded to the cultural shift in the B2B buying experience.

As the process becomes more digital and complex, salespeople can rely on technology to drive operational efficiency, provide better client experiences, and close more sales.

For example:

Sales enablement platforms (SEPs)

Sales enablement platforms (SEPs) centralize your business and customer intelligence data — CRM, content analytics, sales analytics, and more.

This improves visibility, empowering sales reps to deliver speedy, personalized, and continuously improved experiences.

Sales automation tools

Sales automation tools improve efficiency, in turn shortening the sales cycle.

They eliminate repetitive tasks from sales reps’ workflows, enabling them to focus on more meaningful, customer-centric activities.

Automation solutions like PandaDoc natively integrate with your other critical tools, like your CRMs and payment systems, to elevate productivity.

AI-powered cloud communication tools

AI-powered cloud communication tools let salespeople communicate with B2B buyers via phone, SMS, and video.

This opens you up to nationwide and global markets.

Plus, many solutions offer AI-powered features like sentiment analysis, real-time transcriptions, and post-call summaries to enhance the value of conversations.

What B2B sales resources are available?

B2B sales are always evolving, which is why it’s so important to keep up to date with the latest B2B trends .

Luckily, there are plenty of resources available that can teach you how to do B2B sales the right way.

Look online for:

• How-to-guides
• Blog articles (there are lots on PandaDoc)
• Educational videos
• Online training courses

What is the future of B2B sales?

As technology advances, the B2B sales process is expected to become even more efficient and data-driven.

For example, AI is set to play an even bigger role.

As B2B buyers turn to AI to perform independent research, we will likely see a fundamental shift in sales reps’ priorities.

Instead of information-sharing, sales reps will perform more active, customer-centric activities.

Salespeople interviewed in Hubspot’s State of Sales report predicted that high-priority activities will include boosting decision-maker trust and confidence, understanding buyer’s unique needs, building rapport, and demonstrating how the product’s capabilities align with the customers’ unique needs.

Also, as B2B buyers continue to use more channels to research and communicate, the reach for B2B companies is on a steady incline.

With machine learning, AI, and automation, B2B companies are set to balance sustainable growth with efficient, streamlined processes.

Speed up your B2B sales deals with PandaDoc’s simple sales doc process

The B2B sales process is a maze of different customer needs, pain points, and touchpoints.

Balancing this with buyer expectations for a speedy, efficient sales cycle isn’t easy.

But automation platforms like PandaDoc can help.

With PandaDoc, you can create professional client-facing proposals and contracts in minutes, improving your close rate by 18%. And that’s not all.

Manage and track your document statuses in real time to drive faster completions.

Enable easy, immediate collaboration between sales reps and buyers.

Use powerful document analytics to track recipient behavior, A/B test your documents and gather the insights you need to improve your engagement rates.

Interested? Check out PandaDoc’s all-in-one document creation, management, and automation platform today in a free 14-day trial .

PandaDoc is not a law firm, or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. This page is not intended to and does not provide legal advice. Should you have legal questions on the validity of e-signatures or digital signatures and the enforceability thereof, please consult with an attorney or law firm. Use of PandaDoc services are governed by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

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How to create a sales plan in 7 Steps

A sales plan is the first step toward defining your sales strategy , sales goals and how you’ll reach them.

A refined sales plan is a go-to resource for your reps. It helps them better understand their role, responsibilities, targets, tactics and methods. When done right, it gives your reps all the information they need to perform at their highest level.

In this article, we outline what a sales plan is and why it’s important to create one. We also offer a step-by-step guide on how to make a sales plan with examples of each step.

What is a sales plan and why create one?

Your sales plan is a roadmap that outlines how you’ll hit your revenue targets, who your target market is, the activities needed to achieve your goals and any roadblocks you may need to overcome.

Many business leaders see their sales plan as an extension of the traditional business plan. The business plan contains strategic and revenue goals across the organization, while the sales plan lays out how to achieve them.

The benefits of a sales plan

A successful sales plan will keep all your reps focused on the right activities and ensure they’re working toward the same outcome. It will also address your company's specific needs. For example, you might choose to write a 30- , 60- or 90-day sales plan depending on your current goals and the nature of your business.

Say your ultimate goal for the next quarter is $250,000 in new business. A sales plan will outline the objective, the strategies that will help you get there and how you’ll execute and measure those strategies. It will allow your whole team to collaborate and ensure you achieve it together.

Many salespeople are driven by action and sometimes long-term sales planning gets neglected in favor of short-term results.

While this may help them hit their quota, the downside is the lack of systems in place. Instead, treat sales processes as a system with steps you can improve. If reps are doing wildly different things, it’s hard to uncover what’s working and what’s not. A strategic sales plan can optimize your team’s performance and keep them on track using repeatable systems.

With this in mind, let’s explore the seven components of an effective sales plan

1. Company mission and positioning

To work toward the same company goals, everyone in your organization must understand what your organization is trying to achieve and where in the market you position yourself.

To help define your mission and positioning, involve your sales leaders in all areas of the business strategy. Collaborating and working toward the same goals is impossible if those goals are determined by only a select group of stakeholders.

Recommended reading

How to set sales goals that improve team performance (with examples)

To get a handle on the company’s mission and positioning, take the following steps:

Collaborate with marketing: Your marketing teams live and breathe the positioning of your company. Take the time to talk to each function within the department, from demand generation to performance marketing to learn what they know.

Interview customer success teams: Customer support reps speak with your existing customers every day. Interview them to find common questions and pain points.

Talk to your customers: Customer insights are a foundational part of any positioning strategy. Speak directly with existing and new customers to find out what they love about your product or service.

Read your company blog: Those in charge of content production have a strong understanding of customer needs. Check out blog articles and ebooks to familiarize yourself with customer language and common themes.

Look for mentions around the web: How are other people talking about your organization? Look for press mentions, social media posts, articles and features that mention your products and services.

These insights can provide context around how your company is currently positioned in the market.

Finally, speak with the team in charge of defining the company’s positioning. Have a list of questions and use the time to find out why they made certain decisions. Here are some examples:

What important insights from the original target audience research made you create our positioning statement?

What competitor research led us to position ourselves in this way? Does this significantly differentiate us from the crowd? How?

What core ideals and values drove us to make these promises in our positioning statement? Have they shifted in any way since we launched? If so, what motivates these promises now?

How to communicate mission and positioning

In this section of the sales plan, include the following information:

Company mission : Why your company exists and the value you’re determined to bring to the market.

Competition: Who your direct competitors (those who offer similar products and services) and indirect competitors (brands who solve the same problem in different ways) are.

Value propositions: The features, benefits and solutions your product delivers.

What is brand positioning: The ultimate guide with 4 examples

2. Goals and targets

Define your revenue goals and the other targets sales are responsible for.

As mentioned earlier, sales goals are usually aligned with business goals. Your boardroom members typically establish the company’s revenue goals and it’s your job to achieve them.

Revenue goals will shape your sales strategy. Use them to reverse engineer quotas, sales activity and the staff you need to execute them.

Break your big-picture revenue goal down further into sales targets and activity targets for your team. Activities are the specific actions you and your reps can control, while sales targets are the results provided by those activities.

9 steps to creating the perfect sales strategy (with free template)

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10 predictable revenue hacks to grow your sales

Use data on sales activity and performance from previous years to calculate sales targets. You should break this down by pipeline stage and activity conducted by reps across all functions.

For example, how many cold emails does it take to generate a deal? What is the average lifetime value (LTV) of your customer?

Breaking down these numbers allows you to accurately forecast what it will take to achieve your new revenue goal.

This part of your sales plan might include setting goals like the following:

200 total cold emails sent per day

200 total cold calls made per day

25 demos conducted per day

5 new sales appointments made a day

100 follow-up emails sent per day

Breaking down your goals into specific activities will also reveal the expertise needed for each activity and any required changes to your organizational structure, which will come into play in the next step.

How to communicate goals and targets

Within this section of the sales plan, include the following information:

Revenue goals : Reverse engineer the boardroom revenue goals to identify achievable sales goals and the number of staff needed to reach them. Sales targets : Use data on sales activity and past performance to define quotas and metrics for each stage of the sales pipeline.

Expertise needed for each activity: What qualities and attributes do your staff need to achieve these predefined activities? How much experience do they need vs. what can be learned on the job?

3. Sales organization and team structure

Identify the talent and expertise you need to achieve your goals.

For example, a marketing agency that depends on strong relationships will benefit more from a business development executive than a sales development representative (SDR) .

Use the targets established in the previous section to identify who you need to hire for your team. For example, if the average sales development rep can send 20 cold emails a day and you need to send 200 to achieve your goals, you’ll need around ten reps to hit your targets.

Include the information for each team member in a table in your sales plan. Here is an example.

Visualizing each role helps all stakeholders understand who they’re hiring and the people they’re responsible for. It allows them to collaborate on the plan and identify the critical responsibilities and qualities of their ideal candidates.

You want to avoid micromanaging , but now is a good time to ask your existing teams to report on the time spent on certain activities. Keeping a timesheet will give you an accurate forecast of how long certain activities take and the capacity of each rep.

How to communicate your sales organization and team structure

Team structure: These are the functions that make up your overall sales organization. The roles of SDR, business development and account teams must be well-defined.

Roles and responsibilities: These are the roles you need to hire, along with the tasks they’re responsible for. This will help you produce job descriptions that attract great talent.

Salary and compensation: How will the company remunerate your teams? Having competitive salaries, compensation schemes and sales incentives will attract top performers and keep them motivated.

Timeline: Attempting to hire dozens of people at once is tough. Prioritize hiring based on how critical each role is for executing your plan. Take a phased hiring approach to onboard new reps with the attention they deserve.

Building a sales team: How to set your group up for success

4. Target audience and customer segments

A sales plan is useless without knowing who to sell to. Having clearly defined customer personas and ideal customer profiles will help you tailor your selling techniques to companies and buyers.

Whether you’re looking to break into a new market or expand your reach in your current one, start by clearly defining which companies you’re looking to attract. Include the following criteria:

Industries: Which markets and niches do you serve? Are there certain sub-segments of those industries that you specialize in?

Headcount: How many employees do your best accounts have within their organization?

Funding: Have they secured one or several rounds of funding?

Find out as much as you can about their organizational challenges. This may include growth hurdles, hiring bottlenecks and even barriers created by legislation.

Learn about your buyers within those target accounts, learn about your buyers. Understanding your buyers and personalizing your sales tactics for them will help you strengthen your customer relationships.

These insights will change as your business grows. Enterprise companies may wish to revisit their personas as they move upmarket. For small businesses and startups, your target audience will evolve as you find product-market fit.

It’s important to constantly revisit this part of your sales plan. Even if your goals and methodologies are the same, always have your finger on the pulse of your customer’s priorities.

How to communicate target audience and customer segments

Profile: Include basic information about their role, what their career journey looks like and the common priorities within their personal lives.

Demographics : Add more information about their age, income and living situation. Demographic information can help tailor your message to align with the language used across different generations.

Attributes: Assess their personality. Are they calm or assertive? Do they handle direct communication themselves or have an assistant? Use these identifying attributes to communicate effectively.

Challenges: Think about the hurdles this persona is trying to overcome. How does it affect their work and what’s the impact on them personally?

Goals: Analyze how these challenges are preventing them from achieving their goals. Why are these goals important to them?

Support: Use this insight to define how your product or service will help these people overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

Behavioral segmentation: What is it and how can it drive engagement and loyalty

5. Sales strategies and methodologies

Define your sales approach. This includes the strategies, techniques and methodologies you’ll use to get your offering out to market.

This part of your sales plan may end up being the largest. It will outline every practical area of your sales strategy: your sales stages, methodologies and playbooks.

Start by mapping out each stage of your sales process. What are the steps needed to guide a prospect through your deal flow?

9 essential sales stages

Traditionally, a sales process has nine sales stages :

Prospecting and lead generation : Your marketing strategy should deliver leads, but sales reps should boost this volume with their own prospecting efforts.

Qualification: Measure those leads against your target account criteria and customer personas. Ensure they’re a good fit, prioritizing your time on high-value relationships.

Reaching out to new leads : Initiate emails to your target customers to guide new leads into the sales funnel. This outreach activity includes cold calling and direct mail.

Appointment setting: Schedule a demo, discovery call or consultation.

Defining needs: After the initial meeting, you’ll understand your prospect’s problems and how your product or service can solve them.

Presentation: Reveal the solution. This can be in the form of a proposal, custom service packages or a face-to-face sales pitch .

Negotiation: Dedicate this stage to overcoming any objections your prospect may have.

Winning the deal: Turn your prospects into customers by closing deals and signing contracts.

Referrals : Fostering loyalty is an organization-wide activity. Delight your customers and encourage them to refer their friends.

Not all of these stages will be relevant to your organization. For example, a SaaS company that relies on inbound leads may do much of the heavy lifting during the initial meeting and sales demo . On the other hand, an exclusive club whose members must meet certain criteria (say, a minimum net worth) would focus much of their sales activity on referrals.

Map out your sales process to identify the stages you use. Your sales process should look something like this:

To determine your sales methodologies, break each sales stage down into separate activities, along with the stakeholder responsible for them.

With your sales activities laid out, you can do in-depth research into the techniques and methodologies you need to execute them. For example, if you sell a complex product with lengthy sales cycles , you could adopt a SPIN selling methodology to identify pain points and craft the best solution for leads.

Finally, use these stages and methodologies to form your sales playbooks . This will help you structure your sales training plan and create playbooks your reps can go back to for guidance.

How to communicate sales strategies and methodologies

Within this section of the sales plan, include the following:

Sales stages: The different steps required to convert prospects into paying customers.

Sales methodologies: The different practices and approaches you’ll adopt to shape your sales strategy.

Sales playbooks: The tactics, techniques and sales strategy templates needed to guide contacts throughout each stage of the sales process.

6. Sales action plan

You have the “who” and the “what”. Now you must figure out “when” to execute your sales plan.

A well-structured sales action plan communicates when the team will achieve key milestones. It outlines timeframes for when they’ll complete certain projects and activities, as well as the recruitment timelines for each quarter.

The order in which you implement your sales action plan depends on your priorities. Many sales organizations prefer to front-load the activity that will make a bigger impact on the bottom line.

For example, when analyzing your current sales process and strategy, you may find your existing customers are a rich source of qualified leads . Therefore, it would make sense to nurture more of these relationships using a structured referral program.

You must also consider how recruitment will affect the workload in your team. Hire too quickly and you may end up spending more time training new reps and neglecting your existing team. However, taking too long to recruit could overload your existing team. Either can make a big impact on culture and deal flow.

To complete your sales action plan, get all stakeholders involved in deciding timelines. When applying this to your sales plan, use GANTT charts and tables to visualize projects and key milestones.

A GANTT chart shows you the main activities, their completion dates and if there are any overlaps. Here is an example:

By prioritizing each activity and goal, you can create a plan that balances short-term results with long-term investment.

How to communicate your sales action plan

Key milestones : When do you aim to complete your projects, activities and recruitment efforts? You can map them out by week, month, quarter or all of the above. Let your revenue goals and priorities lead your schedule.

Short- and long-term goal schedules: With a high-level schedule mapped out, you can see when you will achieve your goals. From here, you can shape your schedule so that it balances both short- and long-term goals.

7. Performance and results measurement

Finally, your plan must detail how you measure performance. Outline your most important sales metrics and activities, how you’ll track them and what technology you’ll need to track them.

Structure this part of your plan by breaking down each sales stage. Within these sections, list out the metrics you’ll need to ensure you’re running a healthy sales pipeline.

Performance metrics can indicate the effectiveness of your entire sales process. Your chosen metrics typically fall into two categories:

Primary metrics act as your “true north” guide. This is commonly new business revenue generated.

Secondary metrics are those that indicate how well specific areas of your sales process are performing. These include lead response time and average purchase value.

The metrics you select must closely align with your goals and sales activities. For example, at the appointment setting stage, you might measure the number of demos conducted.

Each team also needs its own sales dashboard to ensure reps are hitting their targets. Sales development reps will have different priorities from account executives, so it’s critical they have the sales tools to focus on what’s important to them.

Finally, research and evaluate the technology you’ll need to accurately measure these metrics. Good CRM software is the best system to use for bringing your data together.

How to communicate sales performance metrics

Sales stage metrics : Identify the metrics for each specific sales stage and make sure they align with your KPIs.

Chosen sales dashboard: Explain why you chose your sales dashboard technology and exactly how it works.

Performance measurement: Outline exactly how and what tech you will use to measure your team’s activities and metrics.

How to track, measure and improve your team’s sales performance

Developing a sales plan involves conducting market research, assessing current sales performance , identifying sales opportunities and challenges, setting measurable goals, creating a sales strategy, allocating resources and establishing a monitoring and evaluation framework.

To write a sales business plan, include:

An executive summary

A company overview

A market analysis

A target market description

Sales strategies and tactics

Financial projections

A budget and timeline

Make sure that you clearly articulate your value proposition, competitive advantage and growth strategies.

Final thoughts

An effective sales plan is an invaluable asset for your sales team . Although you now know how to create a sales plan, you should remember to make one that works for your team. Writing one helps with your sales strategy planning and aids you in defining targets, metrics and processes. Distributing the sales plan helps your reps understand what you expect of them and how they can reach their goals.

Providing supportive, comprehensive resources is the best way to motivate your team and inspire hard work. When you do the work to build a solid foundation, you equip your reps with everything they need to succeed.

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B2B Sales Examples: Insights and Strategies that Work in 2024

We won't beat around the bush: B2B sales is hard.

To succeed, you need a can-do attitude and a proven, bullet-proof plan. We can't help you with the first thing, but we can definitely help you with the second one.

Keep reading to learn what business-to-business (B2B) sales is, how it differs from business-to-consumer (B2C) sales, and B2B sales examples to help you become the hero of your department.

What are the Differences Between B2B Sales and B2C Sales?

Business-to-business sales, better known as B2B sales , is the process of selling products and services to businesses rather than to individual consumers . Examples of B2B sales companies might include:

• Office Supply Companies: A business that sells paper, ink, printers, and related products to other companies in its local area would be considered a B2B business.
• Software-as-a-Service Brands (SaaS): A business that sells software products to companies via monthly subscription would be considered a B2B business as well.
• Professional Service Firms: Finally, legal firms, sales consultancies, and marketing agencies who offer their services to brands fall into the B2B category, too.

B2B companies typically enjoy higher order values than their B2C counterparts. On the downside, the selling process is often more complex for B2B businesses, and their sales cycles are usually much longer than for B2C companies.

B2C sales is short for business-to-consumer sales and can be defined as a retail method in which businesses sell goods and services directly to individual consumers. Examples include:

• Supermarkets: A business that sells bread, eggs, milk, and other grocery store items to the people who will actually consume them is considered a B2C business.
• Car Dealerships: A business that sells cars, trucks, and SUVs to buyers for their personal use would be considered a B2C business as well.
• eCommerce Fashion Brands: An online business that sells clothes like jeans, button-up shirts, and shoes to the general public would also fall into the B2C category.

As you can see, the difference between B2C and B2B sales is the end customer. B2B businesses sell to other businesses, while B2C businesses sell to individual consumers.

This simple distinction changes everything about the sales process.

As mentioned above, B2B sales often result in higher order values than B2C sales. But the B2B sales process is usually more complex, which lengthens the B2B sales cycle.

The way most companies go about closing B2B customers is different, too, as we'll see in the next section. Everything from your brand's marketing campaign to its outreach strategy and sales techniques will need to be fine-tuned to reach and convert potential customers.

B2B Sales Strategies & Examples

Now that we know what the B2B sales process looks like let's talk about three common types of B2B sales: digital service and software sales, supply sales, and wholesale distribution sales.

• Digital Service & Software Sales: Businesses that use this B2B sales type sell services instead of products. Said services could be provided by humans, such as marketing professionals who consults with companies on promotional strategy, or by software like Quickbooks, which helps small business owners manage their finances.
• Supply Sales: Businesses that use this B2B sales type sell consumables that help support other companies. Said consumables can range from simple office supplies like paper and ink to heavy duty construction equipment like tractors and forklifts.
• Wholesale Distribution Sales: Businesses that use this B2B sales type usually sell raw materials that other companies use to manufacture products. Said raw materials may include food and herbs that a wholesaler sells to restaurants or computer chips that tech companies use to build various pieces of technology.

Make sense? Cool, now let's dive deeper! In the following sections, we'll explain each B2B sales type in more detail, give examples of well-known brands that participate in these types of sales, and even provide a proven strategy you can use to close more deals.

Digital Service & Software Sales Examples

Products aren't the only thing that a B2B sales team can sell. In fact, a significant portion of B2B companies don't sell products at all. They sell services.

The digital services and software sales category is full of B2B businesses that sell their expertise, skill sets, and/or the various SaaS products they've created. As mentioned above, marketing consultants, as do other service providers like accountants, fall into this category. SaaS brands like Quickbooks, Zendesk, and *cough cough* CLOSE *cough*are a part of it, too.

Decision-Makers in the Digital Service & Software Sales Category

So, who should you contact about your company's digital services and/or SaaS products?

The answer to that question will depend on the kind of services or SaaS products you offer and the size of the company you hope to sell to.

Looking to sell marketing software to a new startup? You probably want to talk to the company's founder or CEO. Why? Because they probably won't have any other decision-makers. Hoping to sell accounting services to a large corporation? Get in touch with the company's Financial Director or Manager of Finance.

Well-Known Brands that Participate in This Type of Sales

• Lyfe Marketing: This popular marketing agency offers social media management services to large brands like Hilton, Crunch Fitness, and Domino's Pizza.
• Slack: Everybody's favorite workplace messaging app makes it easy to connect and collaborate with colleagues.

A Strategy for Selling in this Space

There are plenty of ways to sell digital services and SaaS products , from email marketing to webinars. But one of the most popular channels is social media—especially LinkedIn.

LinkedIn can be used throughout the entire sales funnel, which makes it an ideal channel for sales people in this space.

Shh… Seeking higher B2B conversions? Discover the power of the B2B Sales Funnel stages .

Supply Sales Examples

Next up, supply sales.

Companies that use this B2B sales type support other businesses by selling them the consumables they need to operate effectively, like office supplies and heavy duty equipment.

Supply sales is actually quite similar to B2C sales. Here's the main difference: rather than selling one forklift to Construction Company XYZ, your company would attempt to sell 20 forklifts to Construction Company XYZ at one time. In other words, quantity is a factor.

The other difference has to do with the approval process. As in most B2B selling scenarios, there is usually more than one decision-maker involved in supply sales.

Decision-Makers in the Supply Sales Category

Speaking of decision makers, who do you need to contact to succeed in supply sales? Once again, it likely depends on what you're selling and who you're selling it to.

In general, look to contact a manager in the department your product will help. Returning to our forklift example, you could try contacting a warehouse manager of some kind.

• Bulk Bookstore: As the name suggests, Bulk Bookstore sells books in bulk to organizations of all kinds. The company's client list includes Starbucks and Facebook.
• Lyreco: Just about every company needs office supplies. Lyreco's mission is to supply them, which they successfully do in 42 countries around the world.

Email is a B2B sales rep's best friend. With this wonderful, old-school tool, you can keep in touch with business-to-business buyers, build trust with them, and even close deals. And because of automation, much of the hard work can be set to autopilot (Learn more about AI in B2B sales and how it's revolutionizing the industry with this comprehensive guide.)

The keys to effective email marketing are consistency and stellar content.

Make sure to contact prospects on a regular basis. Once a month will probably be fine, but we encourage you to experiment and find a cadence that works for you.

Most importantly, send your prospects amazing content. "Just checking in" emails rarely impact sales. Instead, offer prospects something of value, such as your company's latest blog post, white paper, or other piece of sales enablement content. Special offers work well, too.

Wholesale and Distribution Sales Examples

Last but certainly not least, we have the wholesale and distribution sales category.

Wholesalers often sell raw materials that other companies use to make products. A wholesale food distributor, for example, would sell food to dine-in restaurants, fast food joints, and other culinary establishments, which would then be used to assemble signature dishes.

Decision-Makers in the Supply Sales Category:

If you want to get your products into retail stores like Best Buy and Walmart, you'll need to contact the purchasing agents for each brand and develop relationships with them. The same goes for most restaurant chains and tech companies.

To sell to smaller operations, like local stores and restaurants, you'll probably need to contact the owner of the establishment. They're most likely to make purchasing decisions.

• Sysco: As the largest food distributor in the United States and one of the largest in the world, Sysco delivers food and beverages to a variety of restaurants and hotels.
• TNT Fireworks: If you live in the U.S., you've heard of TNT Fireworks . But did you know that they're a successful wholesale company? TNT Fireworks sells fireworks (obviously) to small business owners who set up fireworks stands for the 4th of July.

Large retailers and manufacturers, AKA the people that wholesalers sell to, pay special attention to the products they purchase. They want to make sure the materials in their offerings, or the goods on their shelves, are right for their respective companies.

To prove that your wholesale brand has "the stuff," you need to build relationships with key stakeholders over time. The best way to do this is to invest in a CRM solution.

A CRM will allow you to store information about your prospects and customers, set follow up reminders, and contact potential buyers when the time is right. Most include automation, too, which means you can do many of these things with little to no effort.

Here's our advice: find a CRM that works for your company. Then learn how to use it so that you can build trusting relationships with customers and close more deals.

If you are running a B2B business and require a reliable CRM solution, make sure to explore our comprehensive article on the best B2B CRMs available . This resource will assist you in finding the ideal CRM that aligns with your company's needs, enabling you to cultivate trusting relationships with customers and drive more successful deals.

5 Examples of Popular Companies Successful in B2B Sales

We've already listed a few companies that use the B2B business model. But the more, the merrier, right? Here are five additional B2B organizations to check out:

• IBM: International Business Machines, better known as IBM , has been helping other businesses increase efficiency for nearly 100 years. These days, they do it via a variety of cloud computing, artificial intelligence , and security solutions.
• FedEx: If you want it shipped fast, you ship it to FedEx . The delivery company is a pioneer in the space and known for creating an exemplary customer experience.
• Boeing: As the world's largest aerospace company, Boeing manufactures everything from commercial airliners to special aircraft for the United States military.
• DocuSign: Remember when you had to sign paper documents with a pen? DocuSign is working hard to make you forget. The e-signature app has been revolutionizing the way businesses handle contracts since it was founded in 2003.
• Close: Want to boost your revenue? Then, you need a reliable way to contact and manage leads. Close is the answer. Our CRM will let you email, call, and text your leads. Once you do, you can easily manage your pipeline, set reminders, and more.

The five businesses above are very different, but they've each done something similar to help achieve success: their B2B salespeople identify their ideal customers' pain points and present their company's solutions(s) as the best way to overcome challenges.

How do we know this to be true? Because that's what success in B2B sales always looks like. It doesn't matter if you're a new startup or an established brand. This is the way.

Using Successful B2B Sales Examples to Generate More Revenue This Year

Let's recap…

B2B sales is what happens when one business sells products and/or services to another.

It can be more difficult than B2C sales, and the sales cycles are almost always longer. But if you stick it out, you will be rewarded. B2B transactions are usually of much higher value.

Just remember, to succeed in B2B sales, you have to follow a proven process. First, conduct in-depth market research. Second, prospect for new customers on a regular basis. Third, ask about your prospect's paint points to build trust . And fourth, set appointments and follow up.

If you get stuck, or just need a bit of inspiration, have another look at the B2B sales examples we listed in this article. Brands like IBM, Slack, and FedEx have built world-renown businesses thanks to their commitment to the things we outlined above.

The truth is, B2B sales is tough. But the right technology will make your life as a B2B salesperson easier. That's why you should consider an investment in Close. Our platform has the tools you need to make more sales.

WATCH OUR ON-DEMAND DEMO TO SEE IF CLOSE IS RIGHT FOR YOU→

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What is B2B Sales? Definition, process, and techniques

Posted May 23, 2023

By Serena Miller

Editor, Sales Best Practices at Outreach

What is B2B sales?

• What's the difference between B2B sales and B2C sales? 

What is a B2B sales representative?

• What's the difference between B2B outside sales reps and B2B inside sales reps?

What is the B2B sales process?

What is a b2b sales funnel, how do you make a b2b sale, b2b sales techniques, b2b sales challenges, b2b sales tips, what is the future of b2b sales, stay up-to-date with all things outreach.

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B2B selling presents unique challenges. Deal cycles are longer, there are more stakeholders involved in the decision making process, and sellers are expected to have expert level knowledge about their products and services. Today, more business operate in a remote or hybrid capacity, which means that digital communication is a crucial skill for any rep. Read on to learn the basics of the B2B sales process.

Business-to-business (B2B) describes the process of selling products or services from one business to another. It involves understanding the specific needs and goals of the buying business and providing tailored solutions to address them. B2B sales often require building relationships, effective communication, and demonstrating value to drive successful transactions in the business-to-business environment. A B2B company is one that sells to other businesses.

6 Common examples of B2B sales

B2B sales refers to a sales model or a category of selling wherein a business sells its products or services to another business. Because B2B sales usually involves higher price points, more complex processes, and several touchpoints over multiple channels, B2B companies need to maintain a team of highly-trained B2B sales professionals in order to drive revenue.

Here are six categories that would be considered examples of business-to-business companies. 

1. Manufacturing 

Manufacturers selling heavy machinery, specialized tools, or production equipment cater specifically to other businesses operating in manufacturing sectors. These B2B transactions revolve around delivering machinery that enhances operational efficiency, increases productivity, and helps businesses meet their production goals.

2. Software solutions

Software companies develop and offer specialized software solutions tailored to the needs of other businesses. Whether it's enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, customer relationship management (CRM) software, or project management tools, these B2B sales involve providing scalable and customizable software to streamline operations and improve productivity for businesses in various industries.

3. Professional services

Professional services include consulting firms, legal services, accounting firms, marketing agencies, and more. B2B sales in the professional services sector revolve around offering expertise, advice, and specialized services to help businesses overcome challenges, improve performance, and achieve their strategic objectives.

4. Business consulting and training

Business consulting and training provide valuable guidance and education to other businesses. These services can include management consulting, leadership training, sales training, or specialized workshops. B2B consultants and trainers work closely with companies to identify areas for improvement, offer expert advice, and empower employees to enhance their skills and knowledge.

5. Wholesale distribution

Wholesale distributors purchase goods in bulk from manufacturers and sell them to retailers or other businesses. Wholesale distributors often deal with a wide range of products, from electronics to consumer goods, and act as intermediaries, ensuring the smooth flow of products from manufacturers to end consumers.

6. Office supplies and services

Companies specializing in office supplies, stationery, furniture, and technology equipment cater to the needs of other businesses. These transactions involve providing essential supplies to maintain smooth office operations or offering services such as managed print solutions, document management, or office cleaning services.

What's the difference between B2B sales and B2C sales? 

As their names imply, business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) sales primarily differ in their target customers . While B2B companies sell products and services to other businesses, B2C companies consider the general public (or certain segments of it) as their primary market and end consumers.

This main differences between B2B and B2C are as follows:

1. Price point

B2B products and services generally have higher prices compared to many consumer goods.

2. Size of addressable market

B2C companies target thousands to millions of consumers while B2B companies may just have a few to several hundred potential customers.

3. Sales process complexity

B2C customers may easily decide to purchase on the spot while it takes patient lead nurturing before B2B buyers make a positive purchasing decision.

4. Number of decision makers

Only one individual is needed for a B2C purchase while multiple stakeholders are required to sign off a B2B deal. On average, B2B buying committees include 11 stakeholders, but that number can flex to upwards of 20.

5. Sales Methodology

B2B salespeople use sophisticated selling techniques and follow well-calibrated sales processes to succeed, such as MEDDPICC . B2C sellers also need to hone selling skills but operate in a less punishing environment.

6. Customer service

To prolong and increase customers’ lifetime value, B2B companies place a high premium on customer experience, client satisfaction, and success.

7. Marketing channels

B2B sales often rely on targeted marketing efforts through industry-specific publications, trade shows, and online platforms catering to businesses. B2C sales, on the other hand, utilize a broader range of marketing channels, including advertising through mass media, social media platforms, and retail spaces.

8. Decision-making factors

B2B buyers make purchasing decisions based on factors such as ROI, long-term value, and meeting specific business needs. B2C consumers, on the other hand, may be driven by emotional factors, personal preferences, price sensitivity, and convenience.

9. Relationship duration

B2B sales often involve longer-term relationships with clients due to the nature of ongoing business transactions and the potential for recurring sales. B2C sales, while also focused on customer loyalty, may have shorter-term interactions with individual consumers.

10. Product customization

B2B sales often involve providing customized products or services to meet the unique requirements of business clients. B2C sales, while offering some customization options, typically involve selling standardized products or services to a larger consumer base.

11. Sales volume

B2B sales may involve larger order volumes or higher contract values compared to individual consumer purchases in B2C. B2C sales often involve individual transactions with relatively smaller order sizes.

12. Sales cycle length

B2B sales cycles can be longer and more complex, involving multiple stages such as lead generation, lead nurturing, proposal development, and contract negotiations. B2C sales cycles are often shorter, with consumers making more immediate purchase decisions.

13. Sales velocity

B2B sales tend to have slower sales cycles compared to B2C due to the complexity of the selling process.

14. Payment terms

B2B sales may involve negotiated payment terms such as invoices, contracts, and recurring billing agreements, allowing businesses to manage their cash flow. B2C sales typically involve immediate payment, either in-person or through online transactions.

Read more about B2B Sales vs. B2C Sales .

A B2B sales representative is a professional who uses strategic sequences and specialized selling methods to engage corporate buyers. Because corporate buyers tend to research products and services online before contacting a salesperson, these buyers are often well-informed and likely comparing competing products at the same time.

B2B sales representatives are responsible for various tasks to ensure an optimal B2B sales experience, including:

• Make and answer sales calls
• Manage sales emails
• Set meetings
• Conduct product demos/presentations
• Build rapport
• Handle objections
• Identify pain points and solve customer problems
• Prospect for potential clients
• Qualify leads
• Conduct needs analysis
• Create and deliver proposals
• Negotiate and close deals
• Upsell and cross-sell
• Manage accounts
• Collaborate with internal teams
• Perform market research and competitive analysis
• Continuously learn and improve
• Meet sales targets and quotas
• Attend industry events and trade shows
• Provide post-sales support
• Generate sales reports and analyze data

In cases where teams do not have account executives, B2B sales reps own virtually the entire sales cycle, engaging customers throughout the buyer journey — from prospecting and lead nurturing to closing deals.

Learn more about B2B sales reps: what they do and why they are important to a high-performing sales team.

What's the difference between B2B outside sales reps and B2B inside sales reps?

In B2B sales, outside sales professionals often operate outside of an office because they are meeting with prospects and clients or presenting at an event. On the other hand, inside sales professionals engage clients remotely through cold calling, emailing, and video conferencing.

Inside sales professionals can close deals without ever personally meeting their customers. In contrast, outside sales reps almost always make a sale during or shortly after a personal meeting with clients.

This difference in engagement approach requires different skill sets and selling techniques required for either practice. For example, outside sales professionals leverage in-depth product knowledge and in-person communication skills while inside sales professionals become adept in the use of CRMs, a shared sales process, email, and social media.

Recently, however, the line between inside and outside sales has started to blur as outside sales reps begin using the same communication technologies as well as engagement strategies favored by inside sales professionals.

Read more about B2B Inside Sales vs. Outside Sales .

B2B selling is a complex process that requires a well-designed and executed B2B sales strategy in order to succeed. It follows a distinct process and uses a wide range of sales techniques for various buyer personas and selling situations.

The exact number and names of stages in your sales process will depend on your industry, company, and sales organization, but the B2B sales process is typically a 5- to 8-stage sales cycle.

In contrast to the B2B sales process which focuses on the sellers' perspective, the B2B sales funnel corresponds to the buyers' journey. The sales funnel often serves as a visualization of a prospect's proximity to or likelihood of making a purchase by identifying the cognitive or emotional phases the prospect undergoes in the buying process.

Most B2B sales funnels consist of 4 to 7 steps. Here is an example of a 7-step B2B sales funnel:

• Delight/Dissatisfaction
• Repurchase/Attrition

Learn more about the B2B Sales Funnel (plus best practices) .

Manage your sales funnel with Outreach

What if every rep could sell like your best rep? Outreach makes it easy for reps to self-source their own pipeline and organize their book of business.

The B2B sales approach involves several factors, including seller competency, sales process effectiveness, product fit, available alternatives, and the buyers purchasing capability and willingness to adopt.

To make all these moving parts work together, businesses need to:

• Build a responsive B2B sales strategy
• Determine the best B2B sales techniques for their teams and ideal customers
• Create well-calibrated playbooks and sequences for their sales reps to follow
• Measure and improve performance

There is an overwhelming number of B2B sales methodologies and frameworks to choose from. While they all claim to be effective, not all will fit your business, your sales organization, or your target customers. Some methods might work well for a specific industry but not others, while other methods succeed only if they fit the type of customer accounts in your portfolio.

Some of the more popular B2B sales techniques and methodologies include:

• Solution Selling
• The Challenger Sale
• Account-Based Sales
• Value Selling
• The Sandler Selling system

Learn more about these 5 popular sales techniques (plus the pros and cons) .

To determine whether a B2B sales technique or a specific sales sequence positively impacts a business, sales organizations identify and measure key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs are agreed-upon metrics used in assessing a sales organization's performance in different areas such as profitability, sustainability, and efficiency . They are also used to discover trends and to evaluate the productivity and performance of individual sellers.

Common B2B sales KPIs include:

• Quota attainment rate
• Average deal size
• Sales velocity
• New leads generated per month

B2B companies tend to confront several common challenges. The most pressing issues in B2B sales include:

• Sales and marketing misalignment
• Competition for a limited number of potential customers
• Resistance to technology adoption
• Entrenched but outdated sales mindset/culture
• Seller skills/training deficiencies

In 2022, in the aftermath of the pandemic and on the heels of economic uncertainty,  the greatest challenge to B2B sales is efficiency. Here are some of the resources we have for adjusting your B2B sales strategy in an unpredictable market:  

• Webinar:  How top-performing teams use sales tech differently
• Ebook: The sales leader's guide to improving rep productivity
• Article:  How to increase visibility and save at-risk deals

Here are some tips for improving B2B sales performance :

• Personalize customer communications. Use technology to help you personalize at scale.
• Never skimp on continuous seller training. B2B buyers are smart — they prefer to engage professionals who demonstrate expertise and empathy.
• Build genuine rapport through active listening, critical thinking, and asking the right questions. Go for omni-channel outreach (mobile, social media, email, events, sales calls, etc.)
• Consider establishing a dedicated sales ops and a sales enablement team.
• Go beyond CRM and marketing automation. Embrace new technologies such as sales engagement and conversation intelligence . Use data to help you make smarter decisions and playbooks.
• Encourage, monitor, and display positive customer feedback. Showcase customer success stories and incorporate case studies into your sales playbook.
• Establish full strategic and tactical alignment among all customer-facing units from marketing and sales to customer success.

B2B sales is in a state of rapid transformation. The line between inside sales and outside sales is fading while best practices for consumer sales — especially when it comes to personalization — are becoming mainstream in B2B.

Sales tools introduced just a few years earlier (such as revenue intelligence softwares ) have already become necessary for survival. Technology and buyer-centricity are shaking the ecosystem as Sales AI and machine learning empower teams to scale both customer engagement and revenue.

What made Outreach a Leader in The Forrester Wave™ Revenue Orchestration Platforms for B2B – and where we need to do better

What is a revenue orchestration platform?

What is a sales cycle? Definition, stages, and importance

B2B Sales Strategy: How to Form Strategies That Win in B2B

Casey O'Connor

What Is a B2B Sales Strategy?

Why is a b2b sales strategy important, how to build a b2b sales strategy, common b2b sales strategies.

With today’s B2B decision-makers having access to more buying information than ever, they need less and less input from salespeople.

That’s why it’s imperative for sales teams to create and execute a targeted B2B sales strategy to help them consistently and predictably win new and repeat business.

In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about B2B sales strategies  including what they are, why you need one, and some solid starting points for creating your own.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

A B2B sales strategy is an action plan that a sales team designs and carries out in order to convert as many prospects as possible into customers. The best B2B sales strategies are often co-created by sales, marketing, and customer success teams.

The goal of a sales strategy is to empower sales reps with the mindset, resources, and action steps they need to persuade buyers from your target audience to purchase your product.

The specifics of any given sales strategy — things like the target market, the resources involved, the investments of time and/or capital required, the role marketing will play, etc. — will be unique to each individual company and team. Teams should take care to design their strategies using the most up-to-date and thoroughly researched data available.

Of course, that’s not to say that your sales strategy should ignore the needs, goals, and resources available to your own business — sales strategies are ultimately designed to benefit the teams that create them. But the most successful ones are written from the mindset of aiming to serve the customer, rather than aiming to meet quota .

With that in mind, a high-quality B2B sales strategy should be an actionable, repeatable, and scalable process; in other words, successful execution of the strategy should produce tangible, predictable impacts on your bottom line.

It’s been well-known for a while that the internet permanently changed what it means to sell products. In today’s digital world, where access to information is virtually limitless and instantaneous, buyers can easily navigate most buying decisions without any input from a sales team.

In fact, current data shows that about 52% of buyer decisions are made before ever making contact with a sales team.

Compounding this challenge is the fact that buyers today are not only more independent but also more skeptical and more fastidious — both of which have increased the length of the B2B sales cycle by 22% in the last five years .

A targeted sales strategy can mitigate these issues. It allows salespeople to design a proactive plan for meeting buyers where they are instead of waiting to react (at which point decisions have usually already been made).

A well-designed sales strategy allows your sales team to make the strongest possible case for your product’s unique selling points.

Developing and implementing a new B2B sales strategy isn’t light work — not if you want it to be successful, at least. 

Although quite a bit of effort is often involved, building a B2B sales strategy should be an intentional, thorough, and methodical process. The following considerations will help you get started. 

Market Research

As is the case with many things in sales, the first step to success is research. 

Before you sit down to build your B2B sales strategy, make sure everyone on your team has a solid understanding of the dynamics at play in the overall market.

Market trends and predictions will all have an influence on the sales process (even if it’s only a subconscious effect), so sales reps need to be intentional about keeping their finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the market. 

Value Proposition

Sales Team Training

Although sales training gets a bad reputation for being boring and even a waste of time, it’s one of the most impactful things you can offer your team — as long as you get it right. 

Sales Collateral

Sales collateral is an umbrella term that encompasses any document, content, or other resource that assists reps in the sales process and helps move leads through the sales funnel. 

Lead Generation Strategy

With nearly two-thirds of marketers and one-third of sales reps reporting lead generation as their biggest challenge, every team that’s deliberately creating a B2B sales strategy needs to take this important practice seriously, and design intentional processes to support it. 

In truth, lead generation is about a lot more than just finding enough leads to achieve your conversion rate. 

It’s okay if your lead generation strategy requires some trial and error; as with every other process in sales, it’s important to collect data on your strategies and their results, and make adjustments accordingly as you go. 

Lead Qualification

Lead qualification is another important sub-process within your B2B sales strategy, and should be well-defined and carefully planned. 

One easily standardized lead qualification model that sales and marketing use to efficiently qualify leads as they enter the pipeline is lead scoring.

Personalized Sales Outreach

Sales and Marketing Alignment

The nuts and bolts of your B2B sales strategy will outline the steps your sales team needs to take to meet their goals. However, even more important to its success than the specifics of your sales strategy is the careful alignment of your sales and marketing teams.

Teams with well-aligned sales and marketing teams enjoy: 

• 20% annual growth rate
• 38% higher sales wins
• 36% higher customer retention rate

Aligning sales and marketing also increases annual company revenue , improves brand awareness, and increases average deal size.

​ On the other hand, a sales strategy created without collaboration between these two teams is almost certain to fail. 

B2B Sales Enablement Tools

There are a number of tools in the sales enablement space that can support and improve your B2B sales strategy. The software you choose should allow all stakeholders in the sales process the ability to peek into the sales process, from the very beginning to the very end.

Here are a few of our favorites.

• Cloze : Cloze ensures alignment between board-level revenue strategy, sales strategy, and tactical execution. It helps you optimize conversion at every stage with buyer alignment and relevant messaging. It also offers training and coaching programs based on the analytics of your execution. 
• Fision : Fision helps strengthen the bond between sales and marketing. It gives reps 24/7 access to selling materials and the ability to customize brand-compliant material with a template builder. 
• MindTickle : MindTickle helps teams identify winning rep behavior and conversation. This platform leverages gamification and microlearning tools to make optimizing the sales process fun and engaging. 

Measurement Metrics

The sales metrics and sales KPIs that you focus on will ultimately depend on the desired outcomes of your B2B sales strategy. 

Some strategies, for example, may focus more heavily on the front end of the pipeline, where customer acquisition cost may be important. 

Other strategies are more focused on sales rep behavior, where sales productivity metrics come into play. 

Here are several metrics to consider that will help you measure the effectiveness of your B2B sales strategies: 

• Sales productivity metrics (e.g., number of cold calls, number of follow-ups, number of demos)
• New leads by source 
• Estimated revenue by lead source
• Average lead response time
• Closed won opportunities (by month and/or by quarter)
• Sales pipeline velocity
• Average deal size
• Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
• Churn rate 
• MQL-to-SQL conversion rate
• Average contract value (ACV)
• Annual recurring revenue (ARR) and/or monthly recurring revenue (MRR)
• Lead-to-opportunity ratio
• Win-loss ratios

Tip: Looking to grow your B2B sales team? Grab our guide below.

While it’s true that the best B2B sales strategies are tailor-made for the companies deploying them, there are a few well-known sales strategies that almost every successful company draws from as they create their own.

Before your teams collaborate to design your company’s B2B sales strategy, make sure your sales and marketing departments have a thorough, shared understanding of the following:

• Your current sales process and the resources it requires
• The specifics of your target market, including their content/engagement preferences 
• How many decision-makers are involved in the purchase process, and how they prefer to interact 
• How long you can afford to stretch a sales cycle as you optimize your new sales strategy

Once your teams are on the same page about these details, you can start looking more specifically at how you will design the various components of your sales strategy. There are several well-known, data-backed B2B sales strategies that can help you get the ball rolling as you create your own. 

Solution Selling

Sales reps using a solution selling strategy should plan to spend a lot of time educating their prospects. This takes some practice and mindset work, but it pays off.

Ultimately, the solution selling strategy delivers because it places the seller in the role of trusted consultant to the prospect. This helps the prospect feel valued and cared for throughout the sales process. 

Account-Based Selling

Account-based selling (sometimes also known as account-based marketing or ABM) is one of the most popular B2B selling strategies out there. In fact, it’s more popular than ever — in 2019, Gartner saw a 50% increase in $ 10M+ revenue companies adopting this strategy over a period of just two years. Nearly 75% of these top-performing companies use some kind of account-based selling strategy.

This strategy is almost all prospecting — sales reps’ research and qualifying questions provide the scaffolds for the little bit of pitching that eventually takes place as part of this B2B sales strategy. 

Account-based selling works best for companies that have particularly long or complex sales cycles  or ones that typically require input from several stakeholders. Like strategic selling, account-based selling gives sellers the opportunity to address several unique selling propositions based on the different buyer personas inherently present in the process. 

Social Selling

For as much popularity and success as account-based selling enjoys, there is perhaps no more relevant and pervasive sales strategy today than social selling.

A social selling strategy allows marketers and sales reps to leverage the power of social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to: 

• Establish their company as a trusted expert and thought leader in the industry
• Attract, converse with, and provide value to prospects and customers
• Build long-term relationships with prospects and colleagues

With nearly 70% of B2B customers reporting that they use social media to research buying decisions, nearly all companies will benefit from adding a social selling component to their B2B sales strategy.

Strategic Selling

Strategic selling is an approach that requires the sales rep to extend their research far into the organization chart of the prospect company.

Usually starting with just a single point of contact, the sales rep must then work to identify and research several additional potential contacts within the organization. Ideally, these will be people of varied roles and levels of influence within the purchase decision.

Once the list of contacts has been established, the rep works to learn about each contact’s influencing factors and develops individualized pitches to meet their various needs.

The strategic selling strategy works because it allows sales reps to display the full range of your product’s capabilities by pitching them all to different people. Once each contact feels assured that your product can solve their individual pain point, they make easy work of convincing one another that your product is a worthy investment.

Does your team have a B2B sales strategy? How effective is it? What steps can you take today to further optimize it?

This guide was updated on September 26, 2023.

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How to Improve Your Sales Strategy With a B2B Sales Process

Published: July 05, 2022

You wouldn't try to cook a new meal without a recipe or drive to a new city without a map, and your business shouldn't try to convert leads without a sales process.

A B2B sales process is a detailed outline of repeatable steps that guides your sales team. Having a sales process for your business will help focus your sales strategy and keep your sales team on track to convert potential leads into customers.

B2B Sales Strategy

Your business' sales strategy should inform your sales process. Your sales strategy is a set of principles your business will follow to sell your products or services. It explains how your business will pitch its product or service to reach customers .

A B2B sales strategy based on your business' value proposition will help you differentiate your business from your competitors.

B2B Sales Flowchart

Image Source

A B2B sales flowchart is a document that shows the steps that each member of your team should take as a customer moves along the sales process. The flowchart uses yes or no scenarios to illustrate how your team should respond to your prospect's decisions and actions during each stage of your business' sales process.

Free Sales Plan Template

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• Target Market
• Prospecting Strategy

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B2B Sales Process Steps

Below we will walk through the steps of the B2B sales process so you can easily follow best practices.

1. Set your sales goals.

Start by analyzing your current sales performance and noting where you can improve. Would you like to close more deals? Increase sales leads? Identify new prospects? Make a list of business goals you would like to achieve.

Next, turn your business goals into SMART goals . Creating SMART goals ensures that your sales goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, instead of simply aiming to increase revenue, set a goal to increase monthly revenue by 7% by the end of Q3. You can do this by running a promotional campaign during Q2 and Q3.

Setting SMART goals can improve the efficiency of your sales team and your business as a whole. A 2021 study published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology found that setting SMART goals decreases stress, improves workflow, and increases engagement in the workplace.

2. Involve all stakeholders in the process.

Your sales process can’t be created by the sales team alone. It’s a team effort that requires input from all of your business' departments — from IT to marketing to customer service. Therefore, it’s essential to identify what stakeholders are involved in each stage of the sales process. Including every department can help to combat risk and ensure that sales are completed successfully .

Schedule time to meet with your stakeholders and share your business' SMART goals, then determine the role that each stakeholder will have in completing the goals of the sales process.

3. Outline the sales process.

Now that you know how your business' stakeholders will contribute to the sales process, it's time to outline the sales process for your business.

Your business' sales process maps out the steps a customer will take during each stage of their journey, from becoming a prospect to completing a transaction. Creating a single sales process that includes all of your business' stakeholders will ensure that your process is consistent and your teams work toward the same goals.

The B2B sales process consists of six stages: prospecting, connecting and qualifying, researching, presenting, handling objections, and closing. Determine what tasks need to be completed during each stage of the sales process and assign your business' teams to each task.

Prospecting and Creating a Buyer Persona

The prospecting stage focuses on finding leads that you can nurture and convert into paying customers. Prospecting can be difficult — more than 40% of salespeople say that it’s the most challenging part of the sales process . However, despite the challenges that the prospecting stage presents, it’s crucial to the success of your business' sales process.

The prospecting stage of your business' sales process starts with researching your prospect to determine if your business can meet their needs and add value to their business. This research can be completed online using LinkedIn , Facebook , and Quora or in person at conferences and industry events.

It’s important to prioritize your prospects based on how likely they will convert to customers. Creating a buyer persona that includes your ideal prospect's business demographics, objectives, and pain points can help you determine which prospects may need your product or service to solve their problems.

Connecting and Qualifying

The connecting and qualifying stage of the sales process focuses on contacting the prospects you have prioritized and determining whether they are likely to continue the buyer's journey.

When you contact your prospects, ask them qualifying questions about their budget and current spending, recent changes to their business, their pain points, previous attempts to address those pain points, and other aspects of their business.

Qualifying your prospects can save your business time and money that may otherwise be wasted on prospects who don’t require your business' goods and services and are not likely to convert into customers.

Researching and Performing Market Analysis

The research stage of the sales process focuses on learning more about your prospect and their business. Researching your prospects will help your team get more familiar with their needs and the specific challenges their businesses face.

Researching your prospect's business and performing a market analysis can help you learn more about your prospect's industry, users, and competitors' strengths and weaknesses.

Although this process may be time-consuming, performing thorough research will help you position your business as the best solution to your prospect's problems and better prepare you to pitch your product or service to your prospect.

Pitching Your Product or Service

Pitching your business' product or service to your prospect in a sales demo is crucial to the sales process. This stage of the process allows your sales representative to demonstrate how your business' product or service can resolve your prospect's specific pain points.

Sales demos are usually presented after a prospect officially becomes a lead. For example, a sales demo may be given or proposed to a prospect after they complete a micro-conversion, contact a member of your sales team, or request a consultation.

Your sales representative can present sales demos to your prospects through many different channels, including phone calls, email, in-person meetings, and video conferences using software like Zoom . When presenting your sales demo, choose the delivery method that best meets your prospect's needs.

Handling Objections

Regardless of how well your sales representative presents your sales demo, your prospect may have reservations. The most common objections prospects have during the sales process concern a lack of budget, a lack of trust, a lack of need, and a lack of urgency.

Anticipate that your prospect may object to your proposal. Be prepared to meet with your prospect to discuss their objections and take steps to address them. Listening to your prospect's objections also gives you an additional opportunity to present your business' product or service as a solution to their problems. You’ll do this by addressing and alleviating your prospect's doubts surrounding your business.

There are many ways to close a sale with your prospect. Your approach to closing a sale will change depending on your prospect and their needs. No matter what method you use, your sale should close with a mutually beneficial, contractual agreement between your business and your prospect's business.

Although closing is the ultimate goal of your sales process, it’s not the end of the process. Your business relationship with your prospect’s business continues as you nurture them after the sale is closed.

The nurturing stage of the sales process focuses on continuing to communicate with your customers after a sale is completed and reinforcing value. Sales representatives should reach out to customers and confirm that they have received the product or service that they purchased from your business.

They should also occasionally contact past customers to ask about their businesses and discuss new ways your business can meet their needs. Reaching out and nurturing relationships with past customers can lead to new opportunities and growth for your business .

4. Look at your sales process from the customer's perspective.

After you have outlined the sales process from your business's perspective, use the business personas that you have created to outline the sales process from your customer's perspective . Take note of the actions that a customer may take at each stage of the buyer's process: the discovery stage, the evaluation stage, the decision stage, and the loyalty stage.

During the discovery stage, the prospect discovers a problem with their business and searches for a solution. Your business can begin to form a relationship with the prospect at this stage by helping them understand their problem and how your business can solve it.

During the evaluation stage, the prospect explores their issue and the available solutions. You can strengthen the relationship with the prospect at this stage by convincing them that your business can provide a solution to their problem.

During the decision stage, the prospect compares the solutions they’ve found. If you have succeeded with the prospect during the previous steps of the process, they may choose your business' solution.

The prospect picks your business's solution during the loyalty stage and becomes a customer.

Outlining your sales process from your customer's and your business's perspectives can keep your teams focused on your customer's needs and desires when working through your sales process.

5. Test your sales process and measure the results.

Once you've outlined your sales process from your company’s and your customer's perspective, you can put your sales process to the test and measure the results.

Implement the sales process in your business routines. Go through each step of the process with your teams and pay close attention to how your customers react at each stage of the process. As your teams move through the sales process, make changes if it isn't moving smoothly.

Why does the B2B sales process take so long?

Seventy-five percent of B2B companies have a sales process that takes at least four months . The B2B sales process takes months to complete because multiple stakeholders are involved in buying decisions, which slows the process.

The B2B sales process is also slowed down by buyers' behavior. B2B buyers tend to spend more time trying to identify and reduce risk factors. They research products and services that may damage their credibility, reduce their job security, or cause them to lose money.

Ensure your B2B sales process goes smoothly.

Using a sales process will help your business convert prospects to customers, but only if it's followed carefully. By setting SMART goals, involving all departments, researching, creating an outline from mutual perspectives, and making changes when needed, you can develop a sales process that rewards your business, prospects, and sales team.

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10 essential steps to a successful b2b sales strategy.

There are occasions in life where it pays to get up, toss out your plans, and just go with the moment. Making B2B sales is not one of them. B2B selling is challenging. The stakes are higher, sales cycles are long, leads can be hard to come by – and when you do get a lead, you’re dealing with multiple decision-makers when you try to close it. To succeed in B2B sales, you need a good strategy, and you need to execute it well.

B2B buyers are demanding customers because they know what they want and place high expectations on the vendors vying to provide it to them. Over 70% of B2B buyers have a complete picture of what they’re looking for before they start talking to salespeople . So save the spontaneity for date night – when it’s time to engage with your leads, you want to be working from a detailed, dependable strategy.

What is a Sales Strategy, and Why Do You Need One?

A sales strategy is the plan a business follows to gain revenue by informing potential customers about their products then convincing them to purchase . A good strategy is reproducible in the sense that if you keep following it, you should keep making sales with new customers.

Sales and marketing deliver their best results when they operate in close alignment, but sales strategies and marketing strategies are two very different things . Marketing is all about generating awareness for what you’re selling among potential buyers. A sales strategy will help you persuade a specific buyer to purchase the goods you’ve brought to market.

With a B2B sales strategy that’s been tested and refined to deliver optimal results, you’ll be able to:

• Identify your target audience
• Make the strongest possible case for your unique selling points
• Approach your leads through the most effective sales channels
• Deliver sales pitches that close the deal

The following ten steps will help you reach that goal.

10 Steps to a Successful B2B Sales Strategy

1. choose what kind of strategy you need.

A generic strategy is never going to outperform one built around your specific situation and business needs . The basic structure of your sales strategy can be determined by the goals you’re trying to achieve:

• Generating new leads
• Converting leads into customers
• Generating repeat sales from existing customers

Once you understand what your goals are, you can start building the right strategies around them.

2. Determine If Your Strategy is Inbound or Outbound

Picture an exclusive nightclub and a door-to-door salesperson. They’re both executing sales strategies, but they couldn’t be more different.

The nightclub is doing an inbound sales strategy . They’re marketing themselves in a way that generates interest in their target audience and draws them in . By seeking out their potential customers and approaching them directly, t he salesperson has opted for an outbound sales strategy .

Deciding whether to go inbound or outbound depends on your position in the market and your specific business challenges . Inbound strategies work well when your target audience is actively looking for the solutions you’re providing. When you’re selling something innovative or disruptive, an outbound approach can help you make the case that you’ve got the solution to a problem your leads didn’t even know they had. Some businesses will choose a hybrid strategy, but the optimal implementations of the steps that follow will vary greatly depending on which approach you’ve prioritized.

3. Get Sales and Marketing Working Together

Just say no to friendly rivalries between sales and marketing — these teams should be all up in each other’s business. Sales talks to leads all day about the issues they’re struggling with and the product features they’d love to see. They can share those insights with marketing. Marketing can qualify high-potential leads for sales to connect with and provide relevant content for them to use.

When your company’s sales and marketing teams are closely aligned, you are primed to engage in account-based marketing (ABM) . This approach treats every customer account as a market unto itself . A sales strategy based on ABM demands personalized messaging and content for each potential customer. It’s a resource-intensive approach, but more than 80% of marketers believe it delivers a higher ROI than any other method. 

4. Research Your Target Customers

In B2B sales, it’s vital to learn everything you can about the companies you’re hoping to sell to : their business objectives, pain points, competition, day-to-day activities, and who their decision-makers are.

Create a buyer persona out of information that your salespeople can use . Interviewing existing customers and hearing their stories can help your sales team put buyer personas in context and develop more effective sales pitches.

Researching your market and customers can also help you profile the customers you shouldn’t target . It can save you from wasting resources and salespeople on leads that are unlikely to ever turn into buyers.

5. Identify Your Leads, Qualify, and Nurture Them

Researching customers will help you identify the leads worth pursuing , whether that involves utilizing brilliant marketing campaigns or having your sales team cold-call them. But before you commit those resources, it’s essential to take the additional step of qualifying your leads. You can score them according to various factors . These factors might include the company’s size, how closely they fit your ideal buyer persona, the length of their purchasing timeline. Once you know how your leads stack up, it’s simple to prioritize them accordingly .

B2B sales cycles run long, and some leads will have high potential even though they aren’t ready to move on a purchase anytime soon. By determining what stage your leads are at in your sales funnel, you can nurture them with appropriate content to sustain their interest .

6. Determine Key Activities

This step is where your strategy moves out of the realm of theory and into practice. There are three areas of activity to focus on:

• Social Media – Buyers will research you before they purchase from you, and one of the first things they’ll check out is your social media presence. Make sure they’ll find high-quality media, valuable resources, in-depth product information, and quick responses to any interactions they might initiate.
• Understanding the Buyer’s Journey – B2B purchasing decisions take time. The questions your buyers have when they’re initially narrowing down potential solutions will be different from the questions they have when they’re trying to reach a final decision. The better you understand their decision-making process , the better you’ll be able to lead them further down the sales funnel by providing relevant information at the most opportune time.
• Building Customer Relationships – B2B is rarely about quick sales to customers you never have to hear from again. Taking the time to build relationships helps ensure the customers you win are a good match, likely to be satisfied with your products, and recommend you to others. Even when leads ultimately decide not to purchase, the efforts you make to build trust and authority can strengthen your overall reputation.

7. Create Valuable Content

Many B2B buyers prefer to do their own research rather than listen to a sales pitch . The way to reach these buyers is to provide rich, informative content that speaks to their concerns and offers real value.

It’s always worth providing evergreen content like ebooks, whitepapers, and product demos . But when you have detailed customer data and insights into their buyer’s journey, you can create personalized content that delivers exactly what they were hoping to find – and increases conversions.

8. Get the Right Tools for the Job

Your sales can’t reach their full potential in a digital environment without the right software tools. Here are a few of the essentials:

• A CRM solution to capture lead information, organize customer data, and automate sales outreach processes.
• Analytics and reporting programs that extract insights from the data in your CRM and allow you to measure your sales performance.
• Social media management software to monitor your accounts, listen for relevant social conversations, and schedule postings.
• An attribution-based content personalization tool that tells you where your leads are coming from, maps out their customer journey, and delivers personalized content.

The more of these tools that integrate with each other and allow for automation, the easier your job will be.

9. Get a Team and a Plan

A sales strategy is necessary, but it’s just ideas on paper. It takes a team of fantastic salespeople to turn those ideas into actual sales and revenue. Your sales team should be experts in your product. They also need to be armed with the knowledge and insights you’ve gathered from market research.

To get things rolling, you have to define a sales process – the specific, repeatable actions your sales team will take to execute your strategy. Then, create an action plan, assign tasks, and see how your B2B sales strategy plays out.

10. Measure and Adjust

Your goals determine the metrics that define your success. The last step in developing a successful B2B sales strategy is monitoring it closely, measuring its performance, and making adjustments as you go . If some of your methods or activities aren’t delivering the results you want, swap them out for a different approach.

Having a solid understanding of your market, your customers, and your objectives will let you put together a robust B2B sales strategy that converts. To optimize your strategy, you must keep refining it over time through trial and error, hard-won insights, and using the best software tools .

Closing sales in the B2B world can feel like an uphill battle, but it doesn’t have to be. A great sales strategy lets you meet your customers where they’re at, and delivers the information they need to feel confident in buying from you.

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Sales Planning: How To Create a Sales Plan (+ Template)

Sales planning helps you set goals, forecast revenue, and chart a course to growth. With an easy-to-use sales planning template, you’ll be set up for success.

You can buy and hire all the resources to build a house. But without blueprints, you’ll end up with a stack of boards, piles of nails, and construction workers twiddling their thumbs.

Sales teams need a blueprint, too. It’s called sales planning. Like a construction blueprint, sales planning ensures your resources are put to their best use, and team members are focused on what’s most important.

“If you’re not looking at the sales data and making a plan, you might be giving equal weight to all of your products when there are a few that are really the workhorses,” says Shawn Khemsurov, cofounder of strategic design and development agency Electric Eye . “ Those are the products you should invest in and focus on.”

Learn how to create an effective sales plan that aligns with your business objectives, and keeps your sales team driving growth.

What is sales planning?

Sales planning is a set of processes to drive sales for a business—specifically, setting sales goals and outlining the actions needed to achieve them.

The sales planning process helps leaders understand market conditions, analyze customers and trends, allocate resources effectively, and set realistic sales targets.

Sales plan template

Sales planning templates can provide a good framework for you to get started with sales planning. Shopify’s free sales plan template makes it easy to visualize your goals for the year or quarter and keep your team on track.

Sales planning process

• Analyze market conditions and historical performance
• Identify and understand your target audience
• Determine sales goals
• Set strategy
• Allocate budget and resources
• Create action plans
• Monitor sales performance and adjust accordingly

Create a sales plan by following these steps:

1. Analyze market conditions and historical performance

To position your products well and set appropriate goals, you’ll first need to understand what’s going on both inside and outside of your company.

Pull data from your preferred ecommerce analytics tools to analyze your company’s past performance and your customers’ behavior, looking at key performance indicators (KPIs) like conversion rate , session length, and average order value (AOV). This will help you identify areas of strength and opportunities to improve within your sales process.

Also, perform external market research to understand trends, evolving customer needs, and the competitive landscape. Shawn recommends asking yourself a series of questions to help dig deeper into the market and your brand’s place within it.

“Who else is selling in this category? How much are they charging?” says Shawn. “Is the market saturated? If so, what’s our differentiator that we can play up? Or is there a niche that isn’t being served that we can develop something around?”

2. Identify and understand your target audience

Once you’ve identified some overall business and market trends, you can use the same analytics reports to learn more about your target customers. You can divide your target market into smaller customer segments based on details like geography, preferences, and pain points.

Deeply understanding these different audiences can help you market effectively and identify your best customers, both of which can fuel sales and, ultimately, business growth.

3. Determine sales goals

Armed with both internal and market data, you can set clear goals for your sales reps. Consider using the SMART goals framework to ensure your sales objectives are strategic, measurable, actionable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (i.e., SMART).

Most sales teams have revenue goals, but you might set sales goals that involve market share, the number of new customers acquired, a reduction in customer churn , or channel-specific sales.

4. Set strategy

Identify specific methods and sales techniques that your team will leverage to achieve sales goals. Depending on your business, you can leverage a variety of sales tools and marketing strategies including:

• Email marketing campaigns
• Influencer partnerships
• Search engine optimization
• Retargeting ads
• Content marketing
• Social media advertising
• Sales automation
• Website redesigns

Your data analysis and market research can help guide you to the best techniques for your needs. For example, you might find that your average order value is solid, but you need to market more widely to draw more people to visit the site. Or perhaps your site traffic is good, but people drop off rather than convert with a purchase—suggesting an update of your product page or checkout process may be in order.

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5. Allocate budget and resources

Focus is important not only to avoid being overwhelmed, but to allocate resources accordingly. Sales teams rarely have unlimited budgets, so you’ll need to decide how much to invest in each of your sales activities, including marketing campaigns , promotions, partnerships , and staffing.

6. Create action plans

Outline and assign the specific actions required to execute each sales strategy. A successful sales plan lays out clear timelines and expectations.

For example, a set of sales representatives may be called on to contact 25 leads and set 10 sales appointments by the end of the month. Or, sales managers could assign them to check in with all existing customers on their accounts to ensure retention and attempt to upsell with new complementary services.

Depending on your strategies, action plans may include delegating tasks to people outside the sales organization. For example, an email newsletter or content marketing strategy requires looping in the marketing team to create these assets. Marketing and sales alignment is crucial in this example to ensure sales messaging is maintained.

7. Monitor sales performance and adjust strategies accordingly

Effective sales planning involves keeping track of what works and what doesn’t to inform future plans.

Define the metrics you’ll use to measure the effectiveness of each sales strategy you choose, and identify data sources and tools to help you track sales success. You may find one strategic process isn’t as successful as others, or that you need to swap strategies over time.

Tips for sales planning

Set realistic goals, focus on what’s most impactful.

• Allocate resources to get the most bang for your buck

Align planning and goals to overall business objectives

Here are a few tips sales leaders can use to create effective sales plans:

Dream big, yet not too big. “Reach” goals can help your team strive to achieve more, but be careful to strike a balance.

There’s a fine line between aspirational and unrealistic, and if you’re on the wrong side of things, your sales team will end up frustrated.

Setting impossible revenue targets and other goals helps no one. Ensure your objectives are realistic based on past sales efforts, historical performance, and market research.

Dig enough, and you’ll find seemingly endless tools, strategies, and potential ways to boost future sales. But not every method is right for your business, right now.

“It’s easy to get overwhelmed,” Shawn says. “Simplify your focus to the few key areas that have the biggest impact on your sales, and figure out how you can attack those hard.”

Allocate resources to get the bang for your buck

Monitor your sales and strategies to see which efforts have the greatest impact, and put your resources into them.

For example, you may find promotions or abandoned-cart email campaigns tend to bring customers to the site. In other cases, factors like supply chain issues and low inventory might be denting your sales.

“Some shops are surprised to find it’s a small number of products that are really pulling the weight—so in that case, you want to make sure you’re always in stock,” Shawn says.

“If a customer on your site can’t make that purchase, it’s frustrating for them and a lost sale for you. Fixing that problem can have a massive effect on your sales, because even the best marketing messaging doesn’t help if you don’t have a product to ship.”

As you perform sales planning activities—whether it’s conducting an in-depth competitive analysis, reorganizing the sales team structure, or forecasting sales—never lose sight of the overall business plan .

Not every company is necessarily focused on how much revenue they can generate or increasing the sales quota. Instead, they may be looking to break into new geographic areas, reach new target markets, or overcome the sales team’s challenges in explaining the product’s differentiators. You define what sales success means, based on your company’s overall goals right now.

Sales planning FAQ

What is the first step in the sales planning process.

Analyze internal data and external market trends to better understand sales opportunities and your customers. This will help you develop informed, clear, realistic sales forecasts and goals.

Why is sales planning important?

Sales planning is important because it provides a structured approach to achieving sales goals. It helps companies set data-based goals, select appropriate sales techniques, allocate resources effectively, track progress toward sales goals, and adjust strategies over time.

What should be included in a sales plan?

A sales planning template often includes an executive summary, sales goals, market trends and historical sales data, audience data, sales strategies, budget and allocations, action plans, and monitoring.

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B2B SALES: HOW TO FIND, ENGAGE AND SELL TO THE MODERN-DAY BUYER (WITH UNIQUE SALES STRATEGIES)

Key takeaways.

• B2B sales has changed. You need to be proactive and find the channels where potential customers are and share relevant content with them that addresses their needs.
• As a result, the roles of sales and marketing has significantly changed, with marketing teams taking over many aspects of the sales process.

The overwhelming majority (9 out of 10) B2B buyers admit that online content has a moderate to major effect on their purchasing decisions.

Table Of Contents

It’s no secret:

Selling to B2B customers is hard.

At times, it can feel almost impossible.

Of course, selling was never easy.

But, the days when a salesperson was in charge of the buying process are long gone.

Today’s buyers prefer to conduct research and select what to buy on their own, without any influence from a vendor :

• Only 29% of buyers  want to talk to a salesperson to learn more about a product,
• 57% of buyer decisions are made before buyers even pick up a phone to speak to a supplier,
• And,  34% of salespeople admit that closing deals is getting harder.

Surprisingly, only 17% of the entire B2B buying process is spent meeting with potential suppliers.

But, does this mean that the days of reaching your  sales quotas are gone?

No, of course not!

However, to keep closing new deals , you first need to understand the dynamics of modern B2B sales. Then, you need learn the sales strategies that will help you achieve it.

And that’s exactly what we’re going to share with you today.

In this article, we’ll discuss the meaning of B2B sales, how to sell to modern B2B buyers and, share practical sales strategies that you can implement to overcome modern day sales challenges.

What is B2B sales?

B2B sales, also known as business to business sales, refers to companies who primarily sell products and services to businesses, rather than direct to consumers (B2C). B2B sales typically have higher order values, longer sales cycles and are often more complex than B2C sales.

B2B sales has changed dramatically in recent years and the B2B sales strategies that used to work are no longer effective.

But, why? How has B2B sales changed?

B2B sales used to be a lot easier

If a person needed a product or solution, they’d reach out to a potential vendor and deal with a sales person, who’d pitch them with the best options to choose . And if they were happy with what they heard, they would make a purchase.

Simple, right?

It was a relatively straight forward process, in which marketing was responsible for filling up the sales funnel with leads, and then for sales teams, they were responsible for getting those leads into a sales pipeline and moving them down the funnel and into a sale.

It was predictable.

Now, compare that with the buying process B2B buyers go through today:

• A person identifies a problem,
• They research it online, then,
• They also conduct further research to discover all potential solutions,
• They reach out to friends for recommendations, and check what others say about a particular solution on social media, forums, and other online sources,
• They Google this particular solution and read online reviews,
• During the  sales process , they might also click an ad offering a solution, finally,
• Based on all information make a buying decision, and only then
• They might reach out to the company to complete the sale.

That’s a big change!

So, instead of the predictable nature that sales used to be, it's now more like this:

As Millward Brown Digital point out in their “ Navigating the New Path to Purchase ” report:

“The traditional purchase funnel diagram, one which any marketer could sketch from memory, is officially dead. The singular, orderly sequence of purchase stages has been scrambled, and marketers need to conform . In today’s world, where consumers have access to constant information through computers, smart phones and tablets, each person’s path to purchase is complex and unique.“

And so, businesses have changed how they purchase new products or services. They now base a buying decision on internal research, which includes anything from Google search, friend recommendations, and scouting many other web sources.

Today, buyers can research a product digitally through websites, forums, social media, and free trials.

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In fact, 60% of prospects want to engage with a sales rep AFTER they’ve researched their options. Moreover, following the COVID-19 pandemic, 33% of buyers spend even more time researching products before making a purchase. 

As a result, the roles of sales and marketing has significantly changed, with marketing teams taking over many aspects of the sales process. This means the role of sales has been reduced to assisting in the final stages of the process - evaluating potential alternatives, and making the actual purchase.

This is a big shift and it brings a number of challenges for modern B2B sales teams to overcome.

Matt Cove , sales expert based in the UK has seen these challenges first hand.  

A new B2B buyer has emerged

Let’s take a closer look at the profile of a modern B2B buyer.

From increased demand for self-service options and online interactions with sellers, to lowering response to traditional marketing tactics and heightened concern about data privacy and security - the needs of the modern buyer have changed. 

Modern B2B buyers are younger and tech-savvy.

Research shows that 60% of all B2B tech buyers are millennials (age 25 – 39), followed by 32% that belong to Gen X group (42-57).

These younger professionals are prone to using digital technologies and online reviews in the buying process, in turn revolutionizing how they purchase products or services.

For one, they prefer to conduct research themselves, and use the wealth of content available to help them on their journey. When making purchasing decisions, the new B2B buyers mostly rely on these five resources :

• Product demos
• Vendor/product website
• User reviews
• Vendor reps

Modern buyers are highly skeptical about sales and marketing messages they encounter.

According to a  Forrester report , 59% of buyers prefer to do research online instead of interacting with a sales rep because the rep pushes a sales agenda rather than helps solve a problem.

At the same time, salespeople continue to focus on selling, rather than helping prospects along their path to purchase .

It’s no wonder that 68% of buyers prefer to interact with salespeople who listen to their needs and provide them with relevant information . And that 57% admitted they’d prefer to purchase from a salesperson who “ doesn’t try to apply pressure or hassle them when following up . ”

It’s also no surprise that sales teams who incorporate social selling into their strategies tend to perform better than those that don’t.

Here’s another thing that’s changed in recent years:

Today’s buyers now take longer to make a purchase decision.

Recent trends reveal that the SaaS B2B sales cycles have lengthened, now averaging an additional 3.8 weeks to close a new customer. This adjustment reflects the evolving complexity and deliberation in B2B purchasing decisions.

With the lengthening of sales cycles, businesses are facing increased Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC) and extended CAC payback periods. These challenges necessitate a reevaluation of sales strategies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness

Another reason for that is more people involved in the process. According to Gartner, in a typical firm (100-500 employees), an average of 7 people are involved in most buying decisions . 

Another reason is, the wealth of information available that buyers can use to base their decisions on.

This, combined with the shift in the selling process, forces organizations to try and connect with customers and start nurturing them as early in the process as possible.

Modern buyers pay a lot of attention to peer recommendations.

Native to the online world of information, modern (millennial) buyers are 2x more likely to discover products by searching the web or via social media.

Next, they don’t trust the “traditional” analytical reports or rankings as much as older generations (Generation X or Baby Boomers). Less than 20% of millennials use analyst rankings.

But what makes them really tick is reviews! According to research , 8 out of 10 millennial buyers won’t make a purchase without reading a review first. In other words, peer-powered content is the most trusted by modern buyers.

Finally, they are also aware of risks associated with purchases.

Modern buyers want to feel confident that they’ve made the right decision, and try to do as much as possible to mitigate post-purchase dissatisfaction during the sales process.

As Shelley Cernel writes :

“ Prospects often second-guess themselves over making the right choices or are afraid to commit and potentially missing out on a better vendor. B2B buyers are also increasingly seeking out ways to identify and reduce risk factors, including damage to professional credibility, reduction in job security, inability of the software to technically perform as promised, and loss of monetary investments. ”

All this results in a wide range of challenges for the modern B2B sales teams to overcome:

• The increase of available information allows prospects to go through the sales process by themselves, without any need for interaction with the vendor. This resulted in a diminished influence of salespeople over the buyer's choice.
• Sales and marketing teams become more misaligned, often confused as to their roles in the new sales process.
• Buyers become skeptical about marketing and sales messages, and the trustworthiness of sales in general.
• And social media and peers, instead of salespeople, hold a strong influence over buying decisions.

The table below shows the key differences in approach between traditional B2B sales and modern-day B2B sales:  

How to overcome modern sales challenges

Luckily, there are ways to overcome these sales challenges, and here are 3 of the most effective ways to help you generate better quality leads .

Embrace sales enablement to help prospects make better buying decisions

Just because today’s buyers prefer to conduct research online themselves, it doesn’t mean that they can’t interact with you during the process.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

You see, B2B buyers rely on the content to guide them through the buying process, and gain the knowledge necessary to make an informed decision.

And although they can easily find the information, it isn’t always the right kind of information.

And here lies your opportunity.

Create a content library including all your assets that answer the most common questions your target audience asks at different stages of their buying journey.

Once you have created a content library, you can then ask your salespeople to proactively share them with their prospects.

But, what kind of content should you share?

Research from Live Hive found that decision makers are much more responsive towards sales reps when they include case studies, industry articles, sales collateral and white papers in their outbound strategy .

And if you still doubt how effective this is, consider the following:

• 95% of buyers select a vendor who provided them with ample content to help navigate through each stage of the buying process
• 68% of customers feel more positive about a brand after consuming content from it
• 82% of buyers viewed at least 5 pieces of content from the winning vendor
• And companies that develop sales enablement strategies typically win 13.7% higher contract value

Once our sales teams started using content from our library and sharing it with their network on LinkedIn, they saw an increase in reach (impressions) grow from 1,600 views per month to now more than 45,000 views!

Prospects are seeing more of our content than ever before and as we are sharing the right kind of content, we are able to generate better quality leads.

Store all of your sales and marketing collateral inside SuperOffice CRM. Tag content based on segments you’ve created, so that sales reps can share content with relevant buyers that match your ICP.  

Get more use cases on how to use SuperOffice CRM by booking a demo .  

Make salespeople the spokesmen (and women) for your brand

Sending your prospects relevant content will help you close more deals.

But, that’s not the only way to use content to overcome modern B2B sales challenges.

Another way is to position your salespeople as experts in the field.

Here’s why:

We know that modern B2B buyers are becoming increasingly skeptical about sales and marketing messages.

And that many B2B buyers want to interact with salespeople who listen to their needs and provide them with relevant information.

Now, imagine how buyers would feel about a sales rep (and in turn, the brand they work for) that has shared insights and information relevant to their pain points?

Yes, you guessed it - as expert's worth paying attention to!

Here’s how you can achieve this.

Have salespeople create and share content that’s helpful, informative and relevant to the buyer’s pain points, and allow them to publish articles on your company’s blog (and repost on their LinkedIn profile).

Stein Ove Sektnan, Managing Director at SuperOffice UAB has been sharing original content on LinkedIn since 2014. The content he creates covers CRM , customer service , data management and strategy - all related to his experience.

In this piece on customer complaints , the post received 46 likes and 15 shares.

Based on average number of LinkedIn connections (approx. 900) , this means his content was seen by 50,000 people!

When your sales team create content, make sure that the content they publish provides a unique perspective on prospect’s challenges, and then provide them with actionable insights they could use to progress through the customer journey .

Align sales and marketing teams to work towards the same goal

According to various studies, sales and marketing misalignment can cost companies 10% or more of revenue per year.

Then again, it’s not that surprising, is it?

Think about the typical problems arising from misalignment:

• Lack of common definition of a qualified lead, resulting in marketing delivering contacts salespeople simply can’t close.
• No unified content library, meaning that sales teams can’t find assets to forward to prospects. And we’ve already discussed how crucial that is to the sales process.
• Irrelevant KPIs that fail to assist in improving each team’s performance

At the same time, 56% of companies with both teams aligned met their revenue goals, and 19% exceeded them.

Other benefits of aligning sales and marketing include increased brand awareness, an increase in average deal size and annual company revenue.

And do you know what the secret is to be achieving this?

Use content to align both teams.

Research by Corporate Visions found that less than a third of businesses include sales teams in messaging and content creation.

So, here’s how you can get started:

• Create a content library, and get marketing teams to regularly contribute assets salespeople can then use to generate better quality leads.
• Let marketers educate sales teams on when and how to use the content
• Allow salespeople to guide new content development by contributing their ideas.
• Host regular meetings between two teams to coordinate their efforts.

We use this exact approach at SuperOffice when it comes to using content to align sales and marketing teams.

Here's how:

• Marketing create content around a specific challenge or pain-point
• Marketing share the content with our salespeople
• Marketing and sales share the content through email and social media
• Salespeople take the content and create a PowerPoint presentation to use in a webinar
• Salespeople invite all leads that downloaded the content to a live webinar

The reason this approach works is that salespeople not only take the content that marketing have created and use it to host a webinar, but they use it to move prospects further down the buyers funnel by addressing specific needs they have that our product can solve.

By now, the prospect has read the content, attended a live webinar and seen how our product solves their challenges - resulting in a better quality and more qualified lead for our sales team.

Wouter Schram , our resident sales and marketing expert in the Netherlands, has spent the last five years aligning sales and marketing teams. Here’s what he had to say on the topic.  

B2B sales has changed.

It’s no longer as simple as waiting for prospects to come to you.

Instead, you need to be proactive and find the channels where potential customers are and share relevant content with them that addresses their needs. You also need to work closely with your marketing department and use the content they create as a sales tool to move prospects further down the sales funnel.

By doing this, you will start building stronger business relationships with your buyers and, more importantly, you will gain their trust - and that's the the key to succeeding in modern B2B sales.

Sales managers at companies like Sharp, Bridge Technologies and SBC use SuperOffice to create a better sales experience.  

Book a 30-minute meeting today with one of our sales experts . We’ll discuss your sales goals and how we can help you reach them.  

Customers also ask: 

What are the four types of B2B selling?  

There are four basic categories when it comes to B2B selling - producers, resellers, governments and institutions.  

What makes a good B2B salesperson?  

The best salespeople have one thing in common - they are good listeners. A good listener will use the information provided from a buyer to sell more effectively.  

What is the golden rule of B2B sales?   

The golden rule in B2B selling is to focus on the customer and their needs, as opposed to focusing on short-term sales that result in commissions and bonuses.  

How can B2B sales teams effectively integrate digital tools into their sales process to better engage with the modern buyer?

• To effectively integrate digital tools into the B2B sales process, sales teams can start by adopting Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems like SuperOffice CRM. These systems help in tracking customer interactions and managing leads efficiently.
• Utilizing social media platforms for ' social selling ' is another strategy. Sales representatives can leverage LinkedIn and other professional networks to connect with potential buyers, share insightful content, and build relationships .
• Implementing content management systems to organize and share relevant content with buyers at different stages of their journey is crucial. This includes whitepapers, case studies, and educational blog posts that provide value and position the company as a thought leader.
• Incorporating analytics and data-driven tools to understand buyer behavior and preferences better. This helps in personalizing interactions and tailoring the sales approach based on data insights.

What are some specific examples of successful B2B sales strategies in various industries, such as technology or manufacturing?

Specific examples of successful B2B sales strategies include:

• In the technology industry, offering free trials or demos has proven effective. It allows potential customers to experience the product firsthand, leading to more informed purchase decisions.
• For manufacturing, building long-term relationships and focusing on account-based marketing (ABM) can be more effective. This involves targeting specific high-value accounts with personalized marketing and sales efforts.
• In the service sector, leveraging customer success stories and testimonials can be a powerful tool to showcase the value and reliability of the services offered.

How can B2B companies balance the need for personalized customer interactions with the efficiency of automated marketing and sales processes?

Sales reps can balance personalization with efficiency in marketing and sales by:

• Automation tools can be used to handle repetitive tasks such as sending initial outreach emails or scheduling social media posts, allowing sales teams to focus on more personalized interactions.
• Segmenting the customer base and creating personalized content for each segment can make personalization more manageable. This approach provides a semi-custom customer experience without the need for entirely bespoke content for each prospect.
• Using AI can help in predicting customer needs and behavior, thus enabling sales teams to offer personalized recommendations and solutions efficiently.

Resources you will love: 

• B2B vs B2C Sales: 10 Differences and 9 Similarities  
• Future of Sales 2025: Deliver the Digital Options B2B Buyers Demand  
• Sales Process: A Roadmap To Better Sales Performance  
• Social Selling: A Sales Reps Guide To Social Media Success  
• GDPR For Sales: How To Acquire New Customers Without Breaking The Law!  

Steven MacDonald

Steven Macdonald is a digital marketer based in Tallinn, Estonia.  You can connect with Steven on  LinkedIn  and  Twitter .

View all articles by Steven MacDonald

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The ultimate guide to B2B web design (with examples)

These compelling B2B sites were crafted with successful client outcomes in mind.

Design by Eylon Malkevich

Joe O Connor

12 min read

In the competitive world of B2B, a website is more than an online presence. It’s where potential customers form their first impressions, get essential info about a company and take their first steps in doing business. Whether your agency specializes in creating digital experiences for B2C clients, excels in B2B web design or does a mix of both, building compelling sites that help B2Bs achieve their business goals is a service that can set you apart.

Read on to discover 15 B2B web design examples built with Wix Studio design capabilities. Then, gain insights from three leading agencies who share their best practices for B2B web design. We’ll also walk you through seven essential steps to creating a B2B website that delivers for your clients.

15 compelling B2B web design examples

Outlanders Design

Gilley's Dallas

Covalent Marketing

Northern Insuring Agency

Bodaghee Consulting

StrategyFolk

Product Hiring House

Rodica Murphy Sustainability Consultant

Black Mango Production

Klein & Co.

01. Outlanders Design

Outlanders Design  injects serious creative energy into their work—and you can tell from the second you land on their website. With the catchy tagline ‘Not from here’ and a playful spaceman animation, the hero fold grabs your attention and gets you scrolling. The studio’s key information is on a single page, so navigation is a breeze. The ‘Work’ section is particularly impressive, showcasing the studio’s collaborations with major brands, complete with details about each project brief. We particularly like the FOMO effect its ‘About’ copy creates: “You are not our client, and we are not your agency - we are allies, together on a quest to make some serious noise.”

02. Gilley’s Dallas

Events venue Gilley’s Dallas  gave creative agency The Social Robin  the task of creating a site that would increase awareness of its events and help them better understand its visitors’ intent. The result? A modern and lively site that effectively communicates the venue's features with clear copy and encapsulates its atmosphere with high-res imagery. Its well-organized layout has separate pages dedicated to different event spaces, helping visitors quickly find the information they need. Each page is clear in its intent with CTAs that encourage quote requests, further engagement and bookings.

03. Covalent Marketing

B2B sales were top of mind when WD Strategies  started creating a website for Covalent Marketing . The site features a fresh, modern layout that offers simple navigation. The content is tailored to address the specific needs of potential clients and segmented into categories based on their profiles. Key elements like testimonials and case studies establish credibility and demonstrate the value of their solutions.

04. Northern Insuring Agency

When Northern Insuring Agency  approached Twenty-Six & Co.  about rebuilding its online presence, the agency’s co-owner Jennifer Aguglia recommended implementing a robust blog strategy centered around its products and services. “This approach allowed us to streamline the on-site content to focus on the essential information needed for consumer decision-making while providing links to more in-depth blog posts related to specific products,” she says. Aguglia and her team also reversed the client’s original color palette, opting for a bright white background to create a fresh-looking site that does what it needs to do: win new business.

05. Bodaghee Consulting

Designed by SKS Creative , the website for analytics company Bodaghee Consulting  is a lesson in the power of clear copy and clean design. The hero section tells us the company's mission in just four words, while an interactive stars animation enhances the initial user experience. The green-on-black color combination, along with subtle transparent videos and engaging scroll animations, all add up to present visitors with a modern-looking site of a trustworthy B2B brand.

06. StrategyFolk

Built by Melbourne-based More Than Your Brand , the website for recruitment firm StrategyFolk  strikes a balance between a fun, retro design and a professional-looking online presence. Its streamlined layout and straightforward navigation make it easy for visitors to explore services, while the strategically placed CTAs guide users to the Contact page. We dig the square-faced character who makes several appearances throughout the site. Who says B2Bs can’t have fun with playful animations  and some ’80s vibes design nostalgia ? (Watch this Wix Studio Academy build along  for ways to give your B2B designs an ’80s twist).

07. KlikArch

Designed by Prague-based studio UON7 , the site for KlikArch  perfectly reflects its identity as a prestigious architect studio specializing in luxurious coworking spaces. With its minimal design, the website creates a neat and elegant interface that allows visitors to focus on the content. Bold typography adds a modern touch, making key messages pop, while high-res imagery showcases the sophistication of their projects. We have to give a special mention to the stunningly stylish team photos, which wouldn’t look out of place on a Scandi pop band’s album cover.

08. Product Hiring House

Ensuring brand consistency and streamlined UX was a top priority for Arte Vision  when building a site for tech recruitment company Product Hiring House . Engaging visuals, subtle interactions and soft colors are the order of the day here, along with testimonials and a partner logo carousel to back up a strong brand. Take note of the popup that appears when you land on the homepage, asking you to select the role you're hiring for. This targeted approach personalizes the visitor experience and gives the site owner a clear picture of who's visiting.

It’s not often you land on the website for a wildfire detection company, but the Dryad  one does a great job of making a niche service feel accessible. Characterized by a clean and modern aesthetic, the site uses soft tones that create a calming environment for visitors. Transparent video adds a dynamic touch to the hero section, while a slick animated explainer video is a nice addition further down the homepage. As well as having clear contact instructions segmented for different visitors, the site uses gated content like whitepapers to capture leads.

10. Rodica Murphy Sustainability Consultant

You don’t get much bolder with color than the bright pink website for Rodica Murphy Sustainability Consultant . With modern design elements, eye-catching imagery and playful interactions, the site’s look and feel fully reflect the firm’s commitment to sustainability in fashion. In the age of greenwashing, it’s refreshing when an environmentally conscious company can back up its credentials. This website does just that, not only through testimonials, but with an integrated carbon website calculator showing the little or no carbon emissions associated with the site. Smart move.

11. Black Mango Production

Designed by Visual Identity , the website for Black Mango Production  embodies everything bold brands look for in a creative agency: dynamism, energy, excitement and innovation. This site does everything to grab visitors’ attention through snappy, highly engaging video, bold colors, striking fonts and a revolving animated black mango in the hero fold. Ultimately though, it lets Black Mango Production’s work do the talking, and that undoubtedly will bring in business.

12. Array AI

This Wix Studio site template  for an AI consultancy firm, Array AI , oozes minimalism, clarity and professionalism. Subtle animations add a dynamic touch without overwhelming visitors, guiding them through the content seamlessly. The layout is thoughtfully structured, allowing users to access key information about the company’s services with minimum effort. Overall, it’s a great starting point for any agency building a website for an AI-focused business, plenty of which are launching these days.

13. Klein & Co

Another one from the Wix Studio templates collection, Klein & Co. 's one-page website features a clean and corporate design that feels fully on-brand for a company specializing in medical devices. The layout, characterized by ample white space and a simple color palette, gives visitors a sense of trust and credibility. Notably, the site dedicates significant space to client logos and testimonials, which will serve as important social proof for any company operating in a serious industry like medicine.

14. Sparkle

This one-page template for a company called Sparkle  packs a punch and offers a valuable headstart for anyone building for a creative agency looking to make a bold statement online. The hero section is a real attention-grabber with a full-screen video background that sets the tone for the rest of the site. As you scroll, bold typography and vibrant colors guide you through the different sections, each with its unique style and flair.

15. Wix Studio

Okay, it’s a shameless plug, but we’re pretty proud of our Wix Studio  site. One of the biggest challenges of this build was creating something impactful that speaks to a wide range of creative web professionals—everything from one-person agencies to large enterprises. We didn’t want to draw any conclusions ourselves, so we asked AI what it thought: “The overall aesthetic is clean and professional, making it a strong contender in the B2B space, particularly for users seeking robust solutions that combine design flexibility with powerful business tools.” We’ll take that.

Create a Wix Studio site from your favorite template.

B2B web design best practices to set your client sites apart

From the research stage to client handover, a lot goes into B2B web design. Here are seven best practices chosen by three expert B2B builders to help you on your way.

Create content that delivers the 3 Cs

For Syndi Nelson, CEO of marketing agency The Social Robin, every piece of content a business puts out into the world must be purposeful. That means following her ‘three C’ rule: content that captivates, connects and cultivates loyalty. Nelson breaks it down.

Captivate:  The site content must differentiate the business while sparking the target audience’s interest.

Connect:  The site should have copy that doesn’t just display the products and/or services, but tells the story about how the customer fits into the brand.

Cultivate loyalty:  The content should be SEO-friendly and come with meaningful offers and CTAs that encourage the customer to come back for more.

Nail your client’s ICP and buyer journey

Understanding your client’s ideal customer profile (ICP) goes a long way to ensuring the site you build has all the right goals, according to Joey DiGangi, COO and co-founder of WD Strategies. He advises creators to get familiar with their ICP from the start. It helps you understand the buyer journey and shape the site’s UX.

“Remember that the typical B2B sales cycle is longer than a B2C client,” he says. “Business buyers often involve teams where the decision makers aren't necessarily the end beneficiaries of the product or service. This means that purchases aren't often made on the first site visit, if online at all.” 

DiGangi advises giving prospects multiple ways to convert. “Contact forms, quote request forms and calendar links are all helpful conversion options to kick off the relationship,” he adds.

Jennifer Aguglia of Twenty-Six & Co. agrees. “Your B2B site must generate traffic, engage visitors and convert,” she says. “Creating a clear customer journey for your intended audience makes all the difference. Approaching the site from a buyer or simply human-centric perspective ensures that you’re meeting the needs of your most important customers.”

Take measures to avoid scope creep

Being flexible and able to make changes as you go is essential for any web creation project, but when a client turns that into scope creep , the wheels of your project might be in danger of coming off. Nelson advises agencies to have a firm idea about project management, pricing and timelines before taking on any B2B client.

“If you have already experienced scope creep at a small scale, make it a point to take some steps to practice how you’ll place boundaries if they begin to creep in with your new B2B clients,” she says. “Then, make sure you understand ideal customer profiles so that you have a firm understanding about creating a site that speaks to an organization versus a person.”

Compete for difficult keywords

It will depend on the type of B2B client you’re working with, but some will come with deep pockets. Nelson sees this as a great opportunity to be competitive in search and go after difficult keywords. “The ability to compete for keywords from an SEO perspective is typically, though not always, more easily attainable for them,” she says. “We tend to have a little more leeway for B2B clients on more difficult keywords where budget is available than we do for B2C clients.”

Connect to a quality CRM

A good B2B web design doesn't stop at UI/UX. DiGangi says connecting your client site to a quality CRM  is critical to enabling your client’s sales team to continue qualifying inbound leads generated at the top of the funnel once you hand over the site.

“You also need to make sure that all the conversion activities you designed can be tracked and used in remarketing campaigns, and the site can be found on Google,” he says. “All those backend systems working in concert with a well-considered frontend make for a successful B2B web design.”

Create opportunities on every page

A website focused on generating market-qualified leads should never have any dead ends, according to DiGangi. “Every page should give you opportunities to learn more about the business and continue clicking until you're comfortable enough to engage further. One of the design tools we use for this is our content management system  (CMS). It helps us make sure different pieces of content on the site are all interlinked.”

Use your site to build trust

Aguglia says your client’s site is the perfect platform to build trust. “Unlike B2C sites, which focus on engagement and entertainment, B2B sites should prioritize clarity, depth, trust, and professionalism,” she says. “When available, include case studies, whitepapers and product details to showcase value. Emphasize trustworthiness with client testimonials, certifications and data-driven results.”

How to design a B2B website that converts in 7 simple steps

Do your persona research.

First, get to know your client’s customers or their ICP. You’ll build a detailed persona by understanding the company’s size, industry, geo, budget and decision-making process. This information will help you improve the efficiency of your lead generation and conversion strategies. Also, ask, ‘what are their customers’ pain points?’ ‘What are they generally looking for?’ Make you sure you address these within seconds of landing on your client site.

Get inspired

Take inspiration from other B2B websites in your client’s line of business. Do a deep dive on their competitors, take a look at some of the B2B client sites built on Studio , check our collection of Wix Studio templates and wireframes and identify any features your client should have on their site. Plus, it’s always a good idea to ask your client if they have any favorite websites and what they like about them. It can lead to more inspiration, or—be warned—you promptly telling them why emulating anything like their chosen site is a terrible idea.

Define your client’s brand

This will vary from client to client, but if you're tasked with starting your client’s brand from scratch, you’ll need to carry out a thorough client discovery process and create a comprehensive set of brand guidelines. This ensures consistency across all marketing materials and platforms. 

If your client is further along and already has a strong brand identity, get your hands on their brand kit and familiarize yourself with their colors, fonts, tone of voice and everything else that’s in there so you know the website you build will be completely on-brand. Why not go one step further and set up a branded experience for your clients with the Wix Studio Custom Branding  tool, which incorporates your client’s brand into their site dashboard.

Map the user journey

There are many steps B2B customers make before they buy. Your design should allow for a process that takes far more time and nurturing than a standard B2C transaction. Establish how your client’s sales team wants to engage with prospects. Do they want to capture email addresses or get potential buyers on the phone? The answers to these questions will help you complete your user journey mapping  and design each element of the site to move prospects through the funnel.

Organize your content

If your client has existing content, organizing it into logical categories and subcategories based on themes, audience segments and buyer journeys helps you ensure it reaches the right audience at the right time. If required, map out a clear process for content creation, publication and distribution for when the site goes live. Using a quality content management system like Wix Studio CMS  will help you streamline the process. Don’t forget to include the all-important social proofing content such as testimonials and case studies.

Optimize for SEO

Your client can have all the content in the world, but if it’s not optimized for SEO, it might as well exist in a Google doc on your drive. Take steps to optimize your client site and its content for search engines by incorporating relevant keywords and phrases and ensuring it’s fully accessible. You can use the Wix Studio SEO Setup Checklist  to understand the information you need to easily connect and verify your client site with Google and get it indexed quickly so that it appears in search results.

Handover, test and launch

This is usually the best part. But before you handover your B2B website for final feedback, it’s worth onboarding your client as a collaborator or full owner with a bespoke client kit. You can learn how to handover your site to clients  in a few simple steps to make the process smooth and reduce the likelihood of follow-up calls. Also, test the site on all devices and ensure that your client has reviewed every page before going live.

Now that you’ve landed on some compelling B2B websites, heard how the experts approach B2B web design and know the steps to build one, it’s time to create your next B2B web design. But, before you do, take a lesson from DiGangi’s B2B web design playbook:

“B2B clients want outcomes at the end of the day,” he says. “If we as developers, designers and marketers keep that in mind for every aspect of what we build, it can help ensure we have a happy client. We're here to help them succeed, so let's empower them to do so with what we do best.”

Get started on your next B2B web design with Wix Studio .

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Sales Secrets to Landing a Lucrative Compensation Plan

• September 10, 2024
• No Comments

Mastering Sales Compensation Negotiation

Negotiating sales compensation packages requires mastering key components such as knowing what can be negotiated and how to negotiate effectively. Developing robust negotiation skills is crucial for individuals to overcome internal barriers and fears. Understanding the full range of negotiable elements in a compensation package is essential for maximizing earning potential and career growth.

Devin Hennig, an experienced author, seasoned executive and negotiation expert, candidly shared his journey of learning about compensation through trial and error, on this week’s episode of The Modern Selling Podcast , alongside host Vengreso’s CEO Mario Martinez Jr..

As a former VP of marketing in various startups and public companies, he admitted to making costly mistakes in negotiating his own compensation, leaving substantial sums on the table. Drawing from his personal experiences, Devin recognized the common pitfalls that leaders encounter in negotiations, emphasizing the importance of understanding what, how, and why when it comes to compensation.

Severance is a protection piece, especially at a higher title and more senior roles. It’s making things right. – Devon Hennig

This Week’s Special Guest is Devon Henning

Devon Hennig, an accomplished author with eight books under his belt, including “The Senior Compensation Bible” and “How to Be a VP,” brings a unique perspective to sales compensation negotiations. With a background as a VP of marketing at various startups and public companies, Devon learned from firsthand experiences, having left millions on the table due to negotiation mishaps. His approachable style and focus on helping others avoid similar pitfalls make him a valuable resource for understanding the intricacies of compensation packages and negotiation strategies. Devon’s insights cater to both sales leaders and individual contributors, making him a relatable and trusted guide in the realm of optimizing compensation packages.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Master the art of negotiating sales compensation packages to maximize your earnings.
• Unlock the potential of equity and stock options for startup employees to build your financial future.
• Learn how to maximize severance in executive roles, ensuring a safety net for your career.
• Craft a compelling career story in sales that captivates potential employers and clients alike.
• Discover strategies for long-term career growth in sales, paving the way for sustained success.

Make sure to catch the video version for this podcast episode directly below:

The key moments in this episode are:

00:00:09 – Introducing Vengreso and FlyMSG

00:01:23 – Devin Hennig’s Background

00:05:14 – Biggest Mistakes in Negotiating Compensation

00:08:37 – Optimizing Compensation at Different Career Stages

00:11:30 – Components of Compensation Packages

00:14:05 – Creative Bonuses and Milestone Payments

00:15:40 – Black Belt Negotiation Moves

00:17:12 – Commute Stipend Negotiation

00:19:25 – Justification of Small Incidental Requests

00:25:00 – Balancing Requests and Order of Play

00:27:32 – Understanding Equity Compensation at Startups

00:29:55 – Evaluating Equity Offers

00:35:09 – Long-Term Compensation and Vesting

00:39:08 – Exercise Windows and Negotiation

00:40:53 – Negotiating Equity Compensation

00:41:57 – Negotiating Compensation and Equity in Startups

00:43:18 – Lessons Learned in Negotiating Compensation

00:44:17 – Importance of Severance in Negotiations

00:49:23 – Equity Allocation and Long-Term Perspective in Startups

00:52:36 – Considerations for Startup Equity and Exit Plans

00:56:02 – Making a Tough Decision

00:57:29 – The Pitfalls of Job Hopping

00:59:07 – Building Your Career Story

01:00:37 – The Value of a Positioning Statement

01:02:43 – How to Connect with Devon

Timestamped summary of this episode:

00:00:09 – Introducing Vengreso and FlyMSG Mario Martinez Jr. introduces Vengreso as the creator of FlyMSG.io, a free personal writing assistant and text expander application . The podcast aims to help sales leaders, practitioners, and influencers grow their sales numbers at scale.

00:01:23 – Devin Hennig’s Background Devin Hennig, author of eight books, including the Senior Compensation Bible and How to be a VP, shares his background as a former VP of marketing and his journey to helping others negotiate their compensation packages.

00:05:14 – Biggest Mistakes in Negotiating Compensation Devin discusses the three main mistakes sales leaders make in negotiating their compensation: not knowing what they can negotiate, lacking negotiation skills, and lacking the confidence to push back on offers.

00:08:37 – Optimizing Compensation at Different Career Stages Devin advises younger professionals to optimize for cash and experiences, while emphasizing the importance of wins and exits. For older professionals, he recommends focusing on equity and larger lump sum cash opportunities for long-term wealth.

00:11:30 – Components of Compensation Packages Devin highlights the main components of compensation packages, including base salary, bonuses, severance, equity, and other creative additional benefits, and discusses common mistakes in bonus structures, such as low bonus percentages and lack of accelerators or caps.

00:14:05 – Creative Bonuses and Milestone Payments Devon discusses the importance of educating people about creative bonuses and milestone payments, especially as they move into leadership roles. He shares his experience negotiating milestone bonuses for a CRO at a young start-up.

00:15:40 – Black Belt Negotiation Moves Mario asks Devon about “black belt negotiation moves” that most people don’t know about. Devon mentions negotiating milestone payments and funding participation, as well as creative equity terms like double triggers and acceleration, all of which can add significant value to a job offer.

00:17:12 – Commute Stipend Negotiation Mario shares his experience negotiating for a commute stipend, gas card, Bart pass, and a monthly food stipend as part of his compensation package. He emphasizes the importance of framing these requests in a way that adds value without coming across as greedy.

00:19:25 – Justification of Small Incidental Requests Mario and Devon discuss the importance of justifying small incidental requests like gym memberships and commute stipends. They emphasize the value of these requests in improving the quality of life for employees and how to strategically negotiate for them.

00:25:00 – Balancing Requests and Order of Play Devon advises on the order of play when negotiating compensation, emphasizing the importance of balancing requests and prioritizing high-value asks. He highlights the need to avoid overwhelming the employer with a long list of requests and to focus on the essentials.

00:27:32 – Understanding Equity Compensation at Startups Devon explains the value of equity compensation for individuals at the startup phase. He emphasizes the importance of understanding stock options and the total shares outstanding of the company to calculate ownership percentage.

00:29:55 – Evaluating Equity Offers Devon highlights the significance of knowing the number of stock options or rsus granted and the total shares outstanding to calculate ownership percentage. He advises individuals to compare their ownership percentage to benchmarks and make informed decisions.

00:35:09 – Long-Term Compensation and Vesting Mario discusses the importance of understanding the vesting schedule and fair market value of stock options or rsus. He emphasizes that equity compensation is the long-tail, while cash compensation is the short-tail, and provides an example to illustrate the value calculation of stock options.

00:39:08 – Exercise Windows and Negotiation Devon talks about the trend of longer exercise windows for stock options and the internal battle for employees when deciding to exercise options upon leaving a company. Mario highlights the non-negotiable nature of vesting periods and cliffs, with some flexibility for more senior individuals in negotiation.

00:40:53 – Negotiating Equity Compensation Devon emphasizes the negotiation opportunities for senior individuals, such as acceleration, double triggers, clawback protection, and severance terms in equity compensation. Mario adds that bigger companies have less flexibility in negotiation due to existing equity compensation plans.

00:41:57 – Negotiating Compensation and Equity in Startups Devon discusses the limited flexibility in negotiating fair market value, discounts, and vesting periods in early startups. However, custom plans may be negotiable for key talent in crucial areas.

00:43:18 – Lessons Learned in Negotiating Compensation Devon admits to making mistakes early in his career due to lack of experience and knowledge on what could be negotiated and how to negotiate. He highlights the importance of understanding what can be negotiated, like severance and bonuses.

00:44:17 – Importance of Severance in Negotiations Devon emphasizes the significance of negotiating severance, especially for executives, and advises on pre-negotiating a termination without cause clause and aiming for at least a three to six-month severance package.

00:49:23 – Equity Allocation and Long-Term Perspective in Startups Mario Martinez Jr. shares his experience in building a startup, discussing the allocation of stock options for different roles in the company. He highlights the long tail game of equity and the need to commit to a three to five-year plan for potential success.

00:52:36 – Considerations for Startup Equity and Exit Plans The conversation delves into the importance of understanding the exit plan of a startup before committing to equity. Mario emphasizes the need for a long-term perspective and commitment, while Devon shares his experience and insights on equity allocation.

00:56:02 – Making a Tough Decision Devon discusses his experience of being on paternity leave and being offered a severance package. He shares how he was able to negotiate a year-long severance and stay home for eight months after his second son was born.

00:57:29 – The Pitfalls of Job Hopping Mario and Devon delve into the topic of job hopping and its impact on equity vesting. They discuss the downsides of constantly changing jobs and emphasize the importance of building a strong career story.

00:59:07 – Building Your Career Story Devon shares his personal experience of tracking accolades and achievements throughout his career. He emphasizes the importance of building a compelling story to showcase one’s skills and achievements when transitioning to new roles.

01:00:37 – The Value of a Positioning Statement Mario highlights the significance of creating a positioning statement to effectively communicate one’s expertise and track record to potential employers. He emphasizes the importance of clearly articulating what one can offer to a new organization.

01:02:43 – How to Connect with Devon Devon shares where the audience can connect with him, mentioning TikTok as his primary platform and offering his expertise in compensation consulting and negotiation. He encourages those interested to reach out to him on LinkedIn for assistance.

Harnessing Equity and Stock Options

Equity and stock options play a vital role in optimizing compensation packages, particularly in startup and tech companies. Calculating the value of equity based on shares granted and total shares outstanding is crucial for determining ownership percentage. Negotiating equity terms, such as vesting schedules and exercise periods, requires a strategic approach to maximize long-term financial benefits.

Optimizing Severance Packages

Optimizing severance packages is critical for protecting against termination without cause and ensuring financial security during transitions. Pre-negotiating minimum severance terms, including prorated bonuses and continued equity vesting, can provide a safety net during job changes. Understanding the importance of severance negotiations aligns with strategic career planning and long-term financial stability.

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

• Connect with Devon on LinkedIn for compensation consulting and negotiation assistance.
• Visit https://devonhennig.com/ to access the Senior Compensation Bible for comprehensive guidance on cash comp, bonuses, equity, and perks.
• Download FlyMSG for free to save 20 hours or more in a month and increase productivity with a text expander and personal writing assistant.

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