Some people believe salespeople are born, while others believe they are made. Thanks to certain personality traits, some people sell easily; however, those who lack those traits can succeed in sales, even if it isn’t easy or natural for them. In both cases, a new B2B sales rep must get through the learning curve.
Asking For a Meeting
No one succeeds in sales unless they learn to acquire a first meeting with a prospective client. It is difficult to book a meeting with buyers and decision-makers, as busy people with responsibility work to protect their time.
A person who is comfortable asking for what they want will have an easier time getting through this part of the learning curve. Someone who is less comfortable can still do well by using a strategy that increases their chances of booking a meeting, specifically by offering something that creates value for their prospective client.
Conducting a First Meeting
A new salesperson who is able to schedule a meeting with their prospective client is like a dog that chases a car. Once they catch what they’re after, they have no idea what to do. Part of the learning curve includes figuring out how to be comfortable sitting across from a decision-maker and believing you belong in the room.
Much of the time, a new salesperson will try to build rapport by asking personal questions, unaware that it’s better to attempt this after the sales call. Over time, salespeople will notice that busy people would rather you use their time to have the conversation you asked for when you booked the meeting. For salespeople who like chatting with others, it can require the discipline to wait until the meeting is finished before attempting a more personal conversation.
Creating Value in the Sales Conversation
This is the steepest point of the learning curve in B2B sales. A new salesperson will be taught and trained in strategies that may as well have come from the Pleistocene period (2.58 million years to 11,700 years ago). These include positioning the company and solution early in the sales conversation. These topics create no value for the client.
While it can be difficult for new salespeople to overcome the challenges posed by the legacy approach, it can be even harder for them to gain the knowledge and experience they need to sell. To get through this part of the learning curve much faster, salespeople must be willing to do what others refuse. Asking to join a successful salesperson in a first meeting with a client, offering to be their scribe and take notes for them will help you learn what value creation sounds like. After the meeting, provide the notes and ask the salesperson to explain why they asked certain questions and why they answered the client’s questions the way they did.
You can find more strategies to speed up this part of the learning curve in Elite Sales Strategies: A Guide to Being One-Up, Creating Value, and Becoming Truly Consultative. There is a chapter for new salespeople with recommendations for becoming One-Up.
Booking the Second Meeting
A new salesperson will need to convert a first meeting into a second meeting. At the end of the first meeting, some contacts will suggest that the salesperson should call or email them to book a second meeting the following week. In these cases, the contact is ghosting the salesperson in advance. This means the salesperson failed their audition because they didn’t create value in the first meeting.
Success in B2B sales requires a salesperson to be able to book meetings like links in a chain. Before ending the current meeting, effective salespeople will be able to book the next one. This is an important skill you must master to get through the learning curve. If you want help with this strategy, read The Lost Art of Closing: Winning the 10 Commitments That Drive Sales, which provides specific language choices and strategies
Asking for the Business
When you have created value for your client through your conversations and you are certain that your proposal will provide your contact with the better results they need, ask for the business. Even people who have no problem asking for what they want sometimes need time to become comfortable asking for the client’s business and their money.
This seems to be another lost art. There’s no point in doing all the work to get to this point without asking to provide a contract and put your solution in place. It’s likely you will get a yes because if you were no longer being considered, it is unlikely you’d be sitting across from your contact.
The Learning Curve Beyond the Basics
There are other skills and competencies that come with their own learning curves, like negotiating, building consensus, overcoming objections, resolving client concerns, and presenting your solution.
There is no way to acquire the skills and competencies without practicing them in the field. You can beat the learning curve through sales training and coaching. The more you work on each skill, the faster you will make it through the learning curve.
How a New B2B Sales Rep Should Manage the Learning Curve
If you are a salesperson, focus on mastering each skill you need to succeed in sales. If you have access to other salespeople in your company, ask them to help you learn what works and how conversations in your industry typically unfold.
If you are a sales leader, help shorten the learning curve by providing your sales training, a development plan, and coaching. The sooner your new B2B salesperson succeeds, the sooner you succeed. Accelerating the learning curve means providing your new reps with the strategies and tactics they need to master each skill. To give your sales force a primer, start with The Only Sales Guide You’ll Ever Need.
