Your B2B sales prospects don’t want to hear about you. They want to hear about themselves. We all do.
They don’t necessarily need compliments and platitudes. But they do want to know that you understand their issues, their needs, their priorities.
You may or not have a solution for them, that they need right now. But getting their attention is actually easier than that.
Simply show empathy. Demonstrate not just an understanding but an appreciation for their situation, their challenges, their obstacles to success.
There are so many ways to do this in a variety of formats and channels:
- Filter your communication through an already trusted industry peer who has been there before.
- Provide a forum or communication channel for peers to share plight and empathy with each other.
- Learn the language and demonstrate competence not just for your products but for the prospect’s situation.
- Poke fun at common acronyms, bureaucratic processes, and other roadblocks that are hated but tolerated.
Empathy can act as a shortcut to trust if it’s done in an authentic manner.
In B2B you’re not speaking to a company, a building or a brand. You’re always addressing people with heartbeats, emotions, stress and vulnerabilities.
Never exploit that. But embrace it.
Take a look at all the new Pipeliner CRM features that make it easier for salespeople to connect with their clients.
This post was originally published on the Heinz Marketing blog.
Photo: Courtesy of Brian Solis
