If your sales plateaued this year, it may be time to go back to basics. The reason people aren't buying could very well be the way your sales team is selling. Salespeople are very knowledgeable about what they selling and often focus on what they deem important rather than what the buyer's needs are.

Do any of these common mistakes sound familiar?

• Sales people are unaware of which buyers are active in a buying journey.
• Cold outreach is how most new leads are generated.
• Leads are qualified based on budget.
• When a lead expresses interest, the salesperson immediately begins presenting.
• The presentation is not customized for each lead.

If any of these ring true to you or your B2B sales team, it is time to go back to the drawing board and re-create your sales process in a way that better caters to how the modern B2B buyer looks for a solution. Due to the vast amount of information and marketing materials readily available on the internet, the modern B2B buyer is no longer solely dependent on salespeople for purchase decision information.

The evolution of the way B2B buyers make purchase decisions has resulted in a new sales process called the inbound sales methodology. This B2B sales technique consists of 4 sequential phases that are buyer focused.

1. Identify. Start by identifying the right leads. This is done by defining exactly what qualifies as a lead through a process called lead qualification. 
2. Connect. In this phase, the salesperson will reach out to make the initial connection with a lead with a customized message. Move them through their buyer’s journey by focusing conversations on educating them on the challenge they are facing but not promoting your specific product.
3. Explore. This phase focuses on gaining a thorough understanding of the lead's need or problem. Explore leads' goals and challenges in-depth to assess whether your offering is a good fit.
4. Advise. Now is the time to introduce how your product can help resolve the lead’s challenges in a way that helps them reach their goals. Ideally, your product or solution is uniquely positioned to help in a way the competition cannot.

Believe it or not, this is an effective way to revamp B2B sales in 2018. If you're unsure if this will work for you, the inforgraphic below has some stats that may help lead you in the right direction.

Infographic Source: https://www.rainsalestraining.com/