A recent (2010) article in the McKinsey Quarterly suggests that the “push push” and “constant contact” approach in sales is avoidable in B2B sales particularly for high-tech products and services. 35% of the 1200 firms surveyed felt that they were contacted too much!
[ Note : This post from May 17, 2010 was updated with working links on January 24, 2021. The ideas still hold according to us]
My own experience in talking to folks in the IT and procurement field supports a similar anecdotal finding. Consider that some of these decision makers are even reluctant to share their contact details in public including conferences, so bothered they feel with repeated contacts from known suppliers.
Coupled with this in the McKinsey study (another 20%) respondents feel that the sales reps do not know enough about their products.Here it is not that the reps do not know their products but they spend inadequate effort in understanding and communicating the “solution” aspect of their offering. Business buyers are looking for solutions and just talking about your offering is not enough and a motivated,well informed salesperson comes across as not knowing enough.
So just because of automated emails and mobile apps don’t get carried away and overwhelm the customer.Instead, try to think of how your product and service is a “solution” to the customer problem and focus on “solution” aspects – you won’t need to be on the face of the customer all the time!
