HBR recently posted a short and interesting article on improving sales in B2B High-tech segment (based on a survey McKinsey conducted on more than 1,200 purchasing decision makers in small, medium, and large companies). I could totally connect to it based on my experiences with sales and thought other product managers would benefit from the article as well.
Key points:
#)B2B customers say they care most about product and price, but what they really want is a great sales experience. For sales reps, that means getting the basics right.
#)While they may say price is one of their biggest concerns, a satisfying sales experience is ultimately more important.
#)What accounted for 55 percent of the behavior customers described as “most destructive” : failing to have adequate product knowledge and contacting customers too frequently
Good news is that two factors that accounted for 55% of failures can be corrected through sales training and improving overall sales experience.
