This document discusses best practices for business-to-business (B2B) sales calls. It outlines the key differences between B2B and retail sales. For B2B, the customer knows the problem but not the solution, is spending someone else's money, and needs consulting. The document also discusses identifying decision makers, understanding a company's stage of growth to determine sales opportunities, and questions to ask prospects to uncover their needs and decision makers. It provides guidance on establishing rapport, listening, asking the right questions, linking benefits to needs, and setting next steps. The document concludes with exercises to role play B2B sales calls and get feedback to improve sales techniques.

1. TACE 2014
Mary Z. Afuso, Del Mar College
Konley Kelley, Richland College, DCCCD
B2B
Sales
The Heart
of Contact
Training

2. TACE, 2008
The Sales Call: Behind the Door
Objectives of the Session
 Define B2B vs. Retail
 Identify Key Decision
Makers
 Explain 3 Stages of
Growth – and which
two are “ripe” for
selling
 Practice

3. TACE, 2008
The Sales Call: Behind the Door
What is the Difference?
:

4. TACE, 2008
The Sales Call: Behind the Door
B-2-B
 Customer knows problem, not
solution
 Customer Spending someone else’s
money
 Customer needs Consulting
 Most Contract Training

5. TACE, 2008
The Sales Call: Behind the Door
RETAIL
 Customer Knows problem AND
solution
 Customer MAY be spending their own
money
 Customer needs Service
 Most Open Enrollment

6. TACE, 2008
The Sales Call: Behind the Door
Decision Makers
 Have power to say yes
 Have power to direct others to follow
you
 May be at any level

7. TACE, 2008
The Sales Call: Behind the Door
Questions to Uncover DM
 Who else do we need to involve in this
process?
 What will their role be?
 Who else will be affected by this
solution?
 Can we get this on the schedule today?
 Do you prefer to work off a training
agreement or a PO?

8. TACE, 2008
The Sales Call: Behind the Door
3 Stages of Growth
Expanding Declining Even Keel

9. TACE, 2008
The Sales Call: Behind the Door
Where Sales Happen
Expanding Declining

10. TACE, 2008
The Sales Call: Behind the Door
Questions to Uncover Growth
 What’s the big thing in
your industry now?
 What needs to
happen to be ready?
 How are you
positioned vis-à-vis
your competitors?
 What keeps you up at
night?
 What are the
correlating workforce
challenges?
 What’s the big thing in
your company now?

11. TACE, 2008
The Sales Call: Behind the Door
Sales Role Play –
 Break into small groups of 3-4
 Decide who will be prospect, CT rep, recorder/timekeeper.
 Prospect and CT rep will each have a scenario card with company profile
and challenges (training needs)
 Prospect will have another card he cannot show group
 Ten minute sales meeting
 Five Number off / musical chairs
 minutes for recorder to provide feedback
 Groups switch cards and roles – go again
 Large group discussion
Did you sell something?
What was hard? What didn’t work?
What would you have done differently next time?

12. TACE, 2008
The Sales Call: Behind the Door
Recorder Observations
 Establish rapport with the client?
 Listen 80 percent of the time and
talk 20 percent of the time?
 Ask Decision Maker Questions?
 Ask Growth Questions?
 Ask Training Specific Questions?
 Establish credibility and
confidence with the client?
 Link the benefits of working with
the college to the company’s
needs?
 Recap understanding of training
need?
 Ask for a timeline?
 Ask about a training budget?
 Set an action plan for follow-up?
 Get a class scheduled?
Did the CT Rep…

13. TACE, 2008
The Sales Call: Behind the Door
Resources
 LinkedIn
 Salesforce.com
 Sellingpower.com