Kim and I built the house we live in over 22 years ago. Over that time we have seen every house in our cul de sac sell at least once (most multiple times). We are the last original owners left. Back then we had two kids and multiple pets living here and it was more than spacious. Now, with just the two of us and Layla (our dog), it's just too much house.

Even before the pandemic hit, we were dreaming of moving to Costa Rica or somewhere tropical, but that was truly just a daydream. I knew that even moving down the street in the same town would be a challenge on multiple fronts. We brought 20 years of crap into this house (blended families) and then collected 20 years more crap. That was a challenge to downsizing, but that was not my biggest challenge. There was a major obstacle that was standing in our way of moving to another house, town, state, or country. Kim is HIGHLY change-adverse.

I Hate Sales

Back in the early days of my business, I hired a sales coach to help me overcome my fear of sales. I was filled with guilt over asking people for money. I was born New York, Italian, Catholic, and my mother was a travel agent for guilt trips. Also, I lacked the self-confidence to ask what my hourly time was really worth to my clients. I always underpriced and undersold what I was doing for my clients.

That coach, Cathy Demers, taught me the first major lesson about sales success. She held up a dollar bill and asked me, “Do you know what this is?” Of course, I answered, “A dollar bill?” She said “Well sure? But more importantly, it's a certificate of appreciation! The more value you provide your clients with your time and outcomes, the more certificates of appreciation they will give you for it!”

From that day forward I started looking at money and how I charged for what I was doing differently. Clients were not paying me as people paid me before (when I had a J.O.B.). That was just trading hours for dollars. What clients did is reward me for the results I brought them from the time and services I was providing.

Sales Lesson #2

Through almost 750 podcast episodes and interviews, I learned that not only were marketing and sales two separate activities that require completely different skillsets and talents but they were also joined at the hip like fine ballet dancers. When one jumps the other has to be there to catch and support it, otherwise – somebody is going to have a bad day when gravity takes hold of them.

No amount of marketing can make a sale if the sales process is broken. Similarly, sales need to be supported by a cohesive marketing story throughout the buyer's journey. both have to be aligned for sales to grow and gain more of those “certificates of appreciation”.

Also, consumer sales are very different than business to business sales. Consumer sales are often just an interaction between a brand and a consumer. B2b sales (more often than not) require a relationship between your sales representative and the decision-maker. Often there are as many as 6 people or more involved in the buying process (think purchasing, accounting, manager, c-level, etc).

The Buyers Journey

Over the course of the last few years, I have helped companies increase sales through marketing, and I believe I NOW have a better understanding of the secret formula to success. There are five steps involved in the buyer's journey when it comes to B2b sales:

1. Awareness
2. Education
3. Buying Decisions
4. Purchase
5. Retention and Additional Sales

1. Awareness

This is where a prospect is made aware that you are in the business of potentially solving their problem or need. They don't need or even care about features, benefits, or competitive advantages, they just need to know that you are there. It can take multiple interactions of awareness to get them to want to dig deeper. It could be that they already have the solution in place, or that the need has not risen to the pain point level yet. They just need to KNOW that you exist.

2. Education

This is where they are willing to invest some time and attention in learning. It could be a new way to look at their problem. It could be making them aware that they may have a problem they didn't know existed. This is where you need to show them that you are empathetic and understand who they are and what they need. They need to be compelled to read your eBooks, blogs, or watch your video or webinars, and somewhere identify along the way that “Hey? That's Me they are talking to!”. This is where they start to LIKE what you have and how you present it.

3. Buying Decisions

This is the point where the relationship between your salesperson or team starts to develop into sales conversations. If your salesperson is speaking a different language (features, benefits, and objection close), rather than what they are used to while consuming your educational content, it just comes across as transactional versus relational. You have to make sure that your messaging and story continue the empathetic path you laid out in the last stage. IF done properly, this is where the TRUST is built. TRUST has to be earned in order for sales transactions to happen.

4. Purchase

Once the buying decision is made, your sales team and customer service reps or fulfillment managers have to make sure you continue to listen and be proactive to make sure the buyer still feels like the hero. That empathetic story has to continue to build further TRUST. This is the point that you have to manage expectations and communicate clearly and consistently.

5. Retention and Additional Sales

Finally, if you want to retain and sell more, you should borrow from the educational part of marketing, and continually educate and enlighten your buyers. Apple does an amazing job of helping you discover some of the hidden or upcoming features of their phones and computers. They keep their customers excited and loyal to their brand, products, and services.

Final Thoughts

I have to say that my greatest sales success was convincing my wife to sell our house and build a new house in another state.

1. I created awareness that this house was just too big and expensive to maintain. She said… “I KNOW!”
2. I educated her on the top three places to move in the US right now: Austin TX, Boulder CO, and Raleigh NC. She said, “I LIKE Raleigh because it's warmer than Chicago and yet still has seasons!”
3. I helped her make a buying decision by traveling to Raleigh, taking pictures, and meeting realtors. I asked her, “Would you like to make the trip and see the area for yourself?” She said I TRUST you!
4. I brought in the right realtor, and she helped to continue to build trust through the buying process by driving around with her camera on and showing her the area, building TRUST that she would be comfortable there.
5. Finally, we did a test trip from Chicago with a car carrier, the dog, and continued to sell her that a smaller city better suited our lifestyle and needs.

I am confident that this is the greatest sale I have ever made, and I am betting my life on it!

“Powerful and sustained change requires constant communication, not only throughout the rollout but after the major elements of the plan are in place. The more kinds of communication employed, the more effective they are.”
– DeAnne Aguirre

I would love to hear your thoughts on what was your best sale ever and how you achieved it? Did you use a formula? What lessons did you learn and how did that change how you are conducting business today? Do you have any bits of wisdom to share?

Comment below and share your thoughts, ideas, or questions about your sales process and how marketing fits into it.

To learn more about this and other topics on B2b Sales & Marketing, visit our podcast website at The Bacon Podcast.