Sales tools in the industry

It's a reality: in 2022, even in industry, your prospects are digitally savvy and extremely well informed. They read, research, ask questions, and compare offers themselves using digital tools. 📲

The role of the B2B sales representative is therefore inevitably changing. Most of their activities must now take place at the bottom of the decision funnel, during the conversion phase, where the added value of a sales representative is greatest. However, this is only true if the company has the right tools at its disposal.

Here are what we consider to be the five essential tools for optimizing sales. Get your notebooks ready! 📝

The website

It is an essential tool for all salespeople today, even in industry. (see our ebook on the subject)

So what are the advantages of a good B2B website? 

AA well-designed website that is regularly updated with valuable content will help you generate numerous incoming requests. It also helps buyers in their decision-making process. 

That's not all! Your targets have different sensitivities and will not be attracted or convinced by the same arguments. Whether through pages tailored to specific customer types, pages focused on "needs" or "products/services," you have the opportunity to showcase your expertise (and interpersonal skills) in many ways to maximize your chances of success.

Let's put ourselves in the shoes of a salesperson:

This website will be essential in all phases of my prospect's decision-making process. First, it will allow me to attract potential prospects with varied content that addresses my target audience's issues, which I can then use as a basis for my upcoming meetings to present the offer. Next, the website will be indispensable in fueling my prospects' purchasing decisions. Between appointments, they will effectively feed off the content to refine their thinking. This is where, as a salesperson, I will have an essential role to play in redirecting my prospects to articles that are particularly relevant to them, in line with their needs.
Finally, my role will also be to gauge the level of engagement of my prospects. And here again , the website has a role to play! It will give me an overview of my prospects' willingness to take action, thanks in particular to the many tools affiliated with the website (media downloads, viewing statistics, etc.). 

Social media 

These channels have seen the most growth in recent years and are used daily for communication and information, especially in B2C. 

But what about salespeople in the industry? 

In this sector, which is still very much focused on face-to-face interaction, the use of social media remains entirely secondary, if not non-existent: according to an IHS report, "56% of professionals spend less than an hour per week on social media for work purposes.". They are clearly underestimated. : 

Nevertheless, a certain awareness is growing among manufacturers, who are increasingly focusing on the subject. Some have clearly understood that the future of B2B commerce lies in social media, and one platform in particular: LinkedIn. 

This professional platform was created with the aim of helping professionals expand their networks, find great opportunities, and increase their visibility. It is a major asset for salespeople, who can find numerous unknown leads and contact them directly, making their lives much easier! 

And yes, LinkedIn had more than 23 million registered members in France in January 2022 and more than 10.7 million active users each month. 📊

In addition to LinkedIn, which remains essential for finding business contacts, some manufacturers are going even further by creating Instagram and even TikTok accounts. The aim here is to strengthen their employer brand! 

Email marketing 

Value-added content 

We are talking here about a content marketing strategy, which aims to provide your prospects with varied, high-value-added content. It is an excellent way to attract prospects and help them progress through their decision-making cycle. Your sales representatives can use this content either during meetings, to support their arguments and demonstrate their expertise, or during the prospect's decision-making phase, by sending them relevant content that meets their needs.

Here are a few examples: 

📝Blog articles: by creating articles on a subject you are knowledgeable about, you will reassure your audience, gain credibility, and prove your expertise to prospects who are in the midst of making a decision.

👷🏼The Success Story: what were the challenges, why did the client choose you, how did the project unfold, what were the results... These are very effective tools because they incorporate peer testimonials. (For a PDF example, please contact us).

📹Videos: You can create videos on various topics: film your production lines, a new machine, an interview, or even different topics on which you are already experts. Here is an example created for one of our clients: https://youtu.be/9Z-y2Q_2yuI).

📚White Papers or Ebooks: These long-form formats are essential for your sales team. White papers allow you to promote your expertise and establish yourself as an expert in your field. For example, you can leave them a paper copy at the end of your meeting.

📊Case studies: this tool is particularly useful in B2B and ideal in the industrial world, where customers are sometimes reluctant to share their experiences through success stories. Case studies allow you to showcase impressive projects in order to attract potential customers. 

In conclusion, we strongly recommend that you use a CRM system to maximize the effectiveness of the tools mentioned above! This toolkit helps salespeople interact with customers on an ongoing basis, streamline their processes, and improve their profitability. In short, there's no better way to manage your customer database. 

As you can see, there are many tools available to your sales representatives to help them in their sales process. And if you wish, we can discuss them together!