The sales process: from suppliers to partners
The sales process, especially in B2B has evolved a lot and we want to tell you how to move from a customer-supplier relationship to a partner tavelers relationship.
By Chema Ballarín, CRO at Beonprice
Artículo escrito originalmente en español. Puedes leerlo aquí.
According to the popular saying, “everybody likes to buy, but nobody likes to be sold to”. Perhaps this thinking comes from past situations where once upon a time the seller’s interest was more in achieving his or her own goals than in customer satisfaction.
Fortunately, many things have changed since then, allowing the buyer to have a much greater power of decision when it comes to saying “no”. Access to the internet and the development of communications now makes it easier to have almost all the necessary information at our fingertips as consumers. As a consequence, the role of the sales team, far from being minimised, has become even more important, as they must not only fully understand the advantages of their own solution, but also differentiate for which customers and at what time it is better than other alternatives that may be available in the market.
Because of this proliferation of information, both companies and sales professionals need to be able to provide as much value as possible to potential customers at any given time. It is vital to find a common fit between the services offered and the needs shown, in order to achieve a match in the first meetings, so that the commercial relationship is beneficial and long-lasting for both parties.
The result of this adaptation is the business model known as SaaS, which stands for Software as a Service, or perhaps more generically Solutions as a Service. This model has meant a change in the acquisition and use of goods and services, especially those related to technology. Instead of paying a large amount of money and relying on the purchased solution to meet the requirements, it is now possible to have a smaller, periodic and sometimes even incremental outlay, depending on the satisfaction or results obtained with the use of the platform.
In the same way that product information has gone from being a monopoly of companies to being in the hands of customers, the risk of buying technology has been shared equally between supplier and buyer. And this, which I believe is a good thing, has an impact on how we have to approach the sales process, to find our perfect customer.
If we do not find a win-win situation, we will end up with a disappointed customer and a contract that, far from being beneficial, has led to an early break-up, with the consequent increase in costs and losses.
In my opinion, the sales process has to change from “How are we going to sell our solution” to “How are customers going to buy our solution? This paradigm shift is what we at Beonprice believe makes it possible to move from a customer-supplier relationship to one of partner travelers as someone you can trust in the future to walk the same path, and to match the needs of our customers.
Looking at the process from the customer’s point of view means that we have to work differently from the way we have been doing it:
· By knowing very well what value we bring to the different types of customers we can help and tailoring our offer to their needs. Through flexible licensing, we avoid the friction that might arise from customers having to adapt to our products (rather than the other way around). We adapt to the level of maturity our customers need.
· Understanding the issues of our potential customers very well, to bring value to them from the outset. Instead of spamming with generic messages and promises for the future, our sales team carries out a preliminary study of the possible advantages that using Beonprice could have for you, the customer we have contacted. We like to personalise our proposal according to the needs and expectations of our potential customers. I believe this is the method that makes us all use our time in the most efficient way. As a consequence, the next time we contact you, please tell us if we have not done our research work well, in case our first proposal is far from your needs as a hotelier.
· Listening. Listening and asking questions, rather than taking advantage of any conversational pause to launch into a speech of whimsy. We believe that only by understanding your issues, we will be able to offer you the best possible alternative, including the hypothetical case that we cannot be your travelling companions.
I am convinced that this approach to the sales process is what will enable us to help you in the best possible way. And on your side, as potential clients of a Revenue Management solution, you will be able to know the latest market trends, the state of technology, your competitors and, in short, all those areas we are involved in.
The value of a sales team is measured not by providing a list of functionalities, but by telling you which ones to use and how you should use them, in your environment and with your customers, to get the best results. We would love to walk this path with you, are you up for it?
