Enabling Sales By Enabling Your Buyers

Enabling Sales By Enabling Your Buyers:from B2B Marketing and Lead Generation | Optify by Alyssa Putnam
One month ago I returned from an unforgettable trip, 14 days traveling in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark with my roommate (see photo below.) If you know us well, like our closest friends do, this is nothing new. Rachel and I have traveled to New York, Miami, and of course, Las Vegas so far this year. At first you might assume the two of us work for an airline or inherited a large sum of money, but in reality we are just two young business professionals one year out of undergrad with a passion for travel.
Returning home from my two weeks in Scandinavia was a struggle, specifically the lack of afternoon beers and Smash! (Norwegian chocolate snacks.) But amidst my post-holiday depression, I was eager to translate my passion for travel and recent experiences into a value-added resource for my team and company.
Being on the sales team here at Optify, I know first hand that sales enablement and intelligence is the primary key to a successful deal. On a daily basis our team utilizes lead scoring, website intelligence, and prospect alerts to strategically engage with our prospects and your team should too:

• Lead Scoring: segments leads for sales by attributing a score based upon a combination of their profile information & online behavior. Identifies which leads hit the target of your ideal customer persona, therefore improving efficiencies in the sales cycle by eliminating those who missed the mark, and prioritizing hot leads.
• Website Intelligence: illustrates the buyer’s decision-making path. When prospects pinpoint certain pages on your site, such as product or pricing pages, they are giving off strong buying signals. Being able to clearly see the progression of the sales process, allows your sales folks to close deals when the time is right.
• Prospect Alerts: pings the sales individual to notify them that one of their leads is raising their hand. Giving real time engagement feedback to reps allows them to tailor their approach and nurture their prospect throughout the sales cycle in “just the right amount.”

When I was abroad, the tables turned on me. Rather than me selling everyday; I was buying things left and right. Every day, every hour another decision loomed around the corner. Should we take a boat tour or go to the Vassa museum? Should I really purchase this Norwegian sweater? Should we fly or train between cities? I just needed some guidance! This experience allowed me to step outside of my everyday disposition and feel for what its like to be a buyer.
“Sales Enablement” is a great business phrase, but in my eyes it should be coined “Buyer Enablement” instead. The true art of sales is helping a buyer buy, rather than pushing a sale onto them. Lead scoring, website intelligence, and prospect alerts are a few proven ways in which you can better understand your buyers to enable them to buy. Below are my four buyer enablement principals I came up with as a result of my travels experiences.

4 “Buyer Enablement” Principals For Salespeople

1. It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You
Maintain a respectable reputation and consistently grow your network. Buyers are more willing to buy from companies and sales people they’ve been referred to.
2. We’re Talking The Same Language Here
Know who you are getting into business with, and know how they like to do business.
Play the same ball game as them; don’t try to teach them how to play yours.
3. Everybody Wants To Feel Special
Once the buyer’s primary business objective has been identified, come up with a custom solution you’ve tailored to suit their needs. You communicates sincerity and gain trust.
4. Knowledge is Power
Stay on top of your game. Be well informed on the major players in your buyer’s market and keep up to date on current news; buyers will see you as their wise advisor.
In conclusion, a successful sale is executed when a sales person enables their buyer to make the decision. Why is this so important? When the buyer pulls the trigger they will be confident in their purchase, therefore eliminating any cognitive dissonance. So arm your team with instruments and principals that will enable their buyers to buy what you’re selling.
-Alyssa Putnam
@AlyssaKP89