You’ve heard the famous proverb from philosopher Lao Tzu: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” For most sales professionals, the buyer’s journey often feels like a laborious trek. Sometimes the sales process is like a day trip — short and right to the point. But commonly, the buyer’s journey is more of an expedition, taking unexpected twists and turns along the route and requiring weeks, months, or even years to bring it to the final destination of a sale.
As we discussed in last week’s post, the prospective buyer sets out on this voyage when they identify a business challenge or goal and begin seeking solutions. This is where they initially gain awareness of your brand and services — as well as competitors’ offerings. Next, the prospective client considers their various buying options.
How can you, as a salesperson, influence which course they decide to take on their buyer’s journey? How can you position yourself and your brand as a trustworthy co-pilot who can lead them though adoption, helping them get the most out of their chosen solution?
With Industry Intelligence, you have a compass that will always point in the right direction as you lead buyers along the path of the sales process.
Encourage buyers to make a decision
We all make innumerable decisions in the course of a day. From the inconsequential — like what to eat for breakfast — to the life-altering — such as what job to take or who to share your life with.
For prospective clients, they are looking for the right person or company to serve as their Sherpa during the decision process that is the buyer’s journey; a person who can provide the solution to their challenge or goal. This is your opportunity to build trust, set yourself apart from competitors, and show the prospect why you are their best co-pilot. So, you’d better be ready to roll!
Let’s be honest: Many solutions and services are nearly identical in terms of capabilities and functionality. What distinguishes your brand from another similar one is you! Your expertise, guidance, and support give the buyer the confidence they need to move forward with you as their wingman. And Industry Intelligence can be the key to sealing that deal.
During the decision stage of the buyer’s journey, use Industry Intelligence to:
- Detail exactly why a buyer should choose you, incorporating industry-specific data at every touchpoint (conversations, emails, voicemails, presentations, etc.)
- Demonstrate deep industry expertise, aligning your solutions and services directly with your target’s current challenges and business goals
- Discuss specific business challenges, industry trends, and opportunities the prospect may be facing, based on your industry knowledge
- Share highly relevant, industry-specific content, such as news articles, quarterly email updates, and big picture videos
When you can consistently and confidently showcase your knowledge of the industry landscape, as well as your prospect’s unique business pain points or objectives, you’ll instinctively chart a direct course to more sales success.
>> Related: Hit the Road to Deliver Value Throughout the Buyer’s Journey (Part 1 of 3)
Lead the way on the adoption process
Once you’ve closed the deal, it’s time to rev up that engine and help the new client adopt their new service or product. But don’t forget they may have passengers coming along for the ride: team members who may not have been part of the decision stage but who will need to implement and embrace this journey.
Change can be more difficult for some people than others, but you can help guide these folks as they get up-to-speed by using Industry Intelligence to:
- Deliver industry-specific training and on-boarding to take the stress out of the adoption stage
- Provide clients with sharable content like news articles, Industry Profiles, Quarterly Updates, and Big Picture Videos to enable organizational change
- Help end users understand the business reasoning and benefits of new solutions by sharing your knowledge of industry trends and risks
An expert navigator for their buyer’s journey
Are you ready to take the wheel to guide your clients and prospects through all six stages of the sales process? Then climb aboard, and let’s explore ways to deliver a better, more tailored experience in every phase of their trek. Vertical IQ’s newest eBook, Deliver Value at Every Turn: Industry Intelligence Across the Buyer’s Journey, will show you the way.
In it, we explore how sales and marketing professionals can capture and capitalize on the opportunity to connect with buyers and provide guidance and value at every turn of their purchasing journey with Industry Intelligence. You’ll learn how to win, grow, and retain more business while competitors disappear in your rearview mirror. Come along — it’s a trip worth taking!