The sexiest part of the Enterprise-level B2B sales cycle is without a doubt The Conference Call.
Most people will tell you it’s closing.
That may be the case in transactional sales where things happen fast and furiously. The B2B sales cycle is a different kind of performance with a cadence of its own.
It can be described as an epic journey with multiple acts, leading and supporting cast members, ankle biters, hairpin turns, tragedy and victory.
Closing doesn’t have the same sex appeal in The Enterprise as other Sales because by the time you get there, you already know if a deal’s going to materialize by the commitments you’ve received along the way.
If you don’t know the outcome after months of negotiating, you threw air balls and fooled yourself into thinking you were Jordan with seconds on the clock.
Landing monster deals is equal parts science, equal parts art with a dash of voodoo powder.
The process requires finesse, calculation, creativity and endurance.
I’ve closed over 500 contracts with B2B clients ranging from $20 Million in annual revenue to my biggest to date @ $310 Billion.
Most accounts took months to penetrate, build rapport and establish trust with various influencers and decision makers.
In organizations with business units supported and run by multiple Execs, there’s not always a clear path to the top.
In fact, there’s been times where I macheted a path where there wasn’t one as part of the sales process.
To add to the complexity of selling to multiple stakeholders across different business units in separate locations – the harder you sell, the more you diminish your chances of winning the deal.
You need to be aggressive and tactful.
What’s It Take to Schedule a Conference Call?
So, how in the world do you get 2 to 4 of the busiest and most influential executives from major companies on a sit down?
Value and Trust
What makes you solution valuable in a collateralized market with so many saying the same thing but in different fonts?
It’s not the marketing material but the message beyond it.
You don’t need slick materials, gimmicks or Three-Card Monte.
You must show your prospect you actually care and that you can deliver solutions that’ll have a positive impact in the short and long term.
From first contact, you’re establishing yourself as an authority; your messaging and deliverables should indicate why you’re clearly the better choice.
It may take months to connect with the ‘right’ person and that’s where the endurance comes in.
Unless you’re gifting free six figures in unmarked bills with the promise of “No Dye Bag Included”, you won’t hear back from high-level executives on your first few attempts.
Keep working the account respectfully by contacting stakeholders vertically and laterally.
Most enterprise-level sales demand buy-ins from multiple business heads so why not contact each one?
Often times, email never reaches the intended party or they’re flooded by tons of other salespeople calling about anything and everything in between.
As a reflex, any voicemail that begins with “Hello, my name is” gets deleted.
When you do land a conversation, your objective is to establish a foundation, share engaging information but don’t ‘sell’.
Guide your prospect through your offering methodically.
You want to understand the inner workings of that company, how information flows, where the log jams are, where it hurts and who calls the shots.
By working surgically, you’ll accumulate data which you can use to further refine and customize your solution for the buyer.
This series could take awhile so get comfy.
Stay focused and always schedule follow up calls with your point of contact before you hang up.
Avoid the urge for non-committals: “I’ll call you next week or sometime next quarter”. Schedule it.
Remember, companies of this size function precisely but move slowly.
One of my most recent clients took 7 months to close and 15 (30 min to 1 hr) conference calls.
Those calls included 3 levels of legal and 3 levels of finance/ treasury across 2 continents.
The way to get stakeholders on the call is by showcasing your value and creating realistic needs.
These elements take time, trust and confidence.
Not only does your main point of contact need to develop confidence in you, they need to feel strongly enough about your product to present it to their colleagues then, ask those colleagues to take time out of their schedules for a presentation.
Caution. Your point of contact’s ass is on the line too.
Your buyer needs reassurance that they are making the right decision for the good of the organization as long as your services are in place.
If something’s off once implemented, they bear the brunt of the blame, jeopardize their reputation and company standing.
You Can’t Fake Trust
Establishing trust in business takes time just like it does in personal relationships.
For the same reason you don’t make propositions on first dates, establish your footing before requesting an all hands on deck meeting or you could turn them off.
It’s important to recognize that throughout this journey, you may never get a chance to communicate directly with the decision maker and/ or signatory.
That’s just part of corporate sales.
If your prospect says all communication goes through them, respect their wishes.
Keep building value, trust and confidence and don’t throw it all away by insisting to speak to the head honcho.
Some B2B deals are won through direct communication with one champ who’s sold on your service and is selling them internally.
Other deals are closed where your initial point of contact invites other department heads to the dance for their expertise.
Either way, as long as you’re Getting Busy – Getting to Yes, you’re on the right track.
You know when you ask someone how to do something they’re really good at, their first answer is; yeah, it’s really easy?
Then they go into a long-winded explanation as to why it’s so easy.
9 out of 10 times it’s easy for them because they’ve done it a thousand times and can’t relate to what it feels like not to know.
The sexy on conference calls is having all the stakeholders in one place at one time with their undivided attention.
It takes time to recognize the exact moment when requesting a conference call makes sense; the more you do it, the easier it gets.
Ultimately, there’s no better platform for increasing your closing ratio in corporate sales then this faithful event.
Throughout the sales journey, don’t forget that “I’m not available to talk” and “No, I’m not interested in your services” are two different scenarios.
Keep pounding until you get a definite.