The Human Touch in B2B Sales: Building Relationships that Drive Revenue

Strong relationships are the foundation for a successful B2B company. Without them, you may be able to generate sales, but you'll probably struggle to retain buyers. Buyer retention rates vary depending on many different factors. Some B2B companies have a buyer retention rate of just 20%, whereas others have a buyer retention rate of over 70%. Nonetheless, relationships play a key role in whether or not buyers will stay with a given B2B company.

If your B2B company is dealing with a low buyer retention rate, building stronger relationships may offer a solution. Incorporating the human touch into your sales strategy will allow you to build meaningful, lasting relationships with buyers. As you build these relationships, buyers will feel a stronger connection to your B2B company, which may compel them to purchase more products and services and, ultimately, stay with your B2B company rather than leave for a competitor.

Personalize Communications

Always personalize your communications with buyers. Research shows that nearly three-fourths of all buyers want a personalized experience when dealing with B2B companies. They don't want to receive the same messages and promotional material as all other buyers. Instead, buyers want a custom-tailored experience that's personalized specifically for them.

Providing buyers with personalized communications shows them that your B2B company cares about their experience. They won't feel like they are just another metric; buyers will feel appreciated and valued if you provide them with personalized communications. Over time, personalized communications will foster stronger relationships with buyers that compel them to take action while boosting their loyalty to your B2B company in the process.

Become a Listener

How much time do you spend listening to buyers? As a sales rep, you may spend most of your time talking to buyers. You can still talk to buyers, but you should listen to them as well. Listening is a critical skill for sales reps. It enables them to understand their buyers' needs and pain points. It also opens the doors to personalized solutions that meet buyers' specific requirements.

Listening is one of the most important things you can do to build stronger relationships with buyers. If you spend most or all of your time talking to prospects, you won't be able to understand their unique needs and pain points. For stronger relationships that drive revenue, try to spend less time talking and more time listening when calling buyers.

Humanize Your B2B Company's Brand

Another way to build stronger relationships with buyers is to humanize your B2B company's brand. B2B companies are businesses, and most buyers will perceive them as such. Humanizing your B2B company's brand, however, will present it in a more down-to-earth, relatable manner. Rather than viewing your B2B company as just another business entity, buyers will view it as a people-focused brand to which they can relate.

You can humanize your B2B company's brand by doing the following:

• Showcase photos of your B2B company's workplace and employees.
• Tell your B2B company's story and how it was founded.
• Reinforce your B2B company's cultural beliefs.
• Take a stand for a good cause.
• Actively engage with prospects and buyers on LinkedIn.
• Create an "About Us" page on your B2B company's website.

Skip the Canned Messages

Using canned messages will hurt your ability to forge strong and meaningful relationships with buyers. Canned messages are generic messages. Some sales reps copy and paste the same message when communicating with buyers, and other sales reps set up automated solutions like chatbots that use similar copied messages. These are examples of canned messages.

Canned messages aren't authentic. They create the impression that your B2B company is a bot attempting to communicate with buyers. You can build stronger relationships with buyers by creating unique, custom messages instead of canned messages.

Keep the Lines of Communication Open

For stronger relationships with buyers, you need to keep the lines of communication open. Buyers should be able to reach you -- or reach another sales rep at your B2B company -- if they have a question or concern. Maybe a buyer wants to know how much it will cost to upgrade a product, or perhaps a buyer is struggling to install or use a product. When buyers have a question or concern, they may attempt to contact you for an answer.

Keeping the lines of communication open means making yourself readily available for buyers. If buyers can't reach you, they may feel unappreciated, which can compel them to leave your B2B company. You can keep the lines of communication open by providing buyers with multiple methods of contact. In addition to your email address, provide buyers with your phone number and LinkedIn URL. You can also tell them the hours during which they can contact you.

Be Flexible

Flexibility is important in B2B sales. Every buyer is unique and has his or her own set of needs and preferences. Be willing to adapt your sales approach to meet each buyer's needs and be open to feedback and suggestions. This can help to demonstrate your commitment to the client's success and establish a deeper connection with the client.

Show Gratitude

A little gratitude goes a long way toward building stronger relationships with buyers. Thank buyers for their business and let them know how much you appreciate their partnership. By showing gratitude, you'll reinforce the relationship and demonstrate your B2B company's commitment to the client's success.

You can even go one step further by sending buyers a "thank you" note. Some sales reps send their buyers physical "thank you" notes via direct mail, whereas others send their buyers digital "thank you" notes via email. Regardless, it's a meaningful gesture that promotes stronger relationships between B2B companies and buyers.

Building relationships is a critical component of success in B2B sales. With strong relationships, you'll have an easier time retaining buyers. Buyers will stay with your B2B company for a longer period, and many of them will purchase more products and services -- all while driving revenue for your B2B company. You can build stronger relationships with buyers by following the tips listed here.