Smart B2B companies go the extra mile to segment their clients and establish special processes to serve their core client base (high margins, high volumes, high potential). Here are some best practices:

1. Engage Through a Customized Model. Leverage the sales and account management team members who have the best rapport with the client's leadership team. Coach them to take a longer-term view of the relationship to sell offerings with recurring revenue and higher margins.

2. Focus on Selling Complete Solutions. Tailor the sales strategy to the customer’s specific needs, and bundle the products and services together...instead of selling them piecemeal in discrete fashion.

3. Try Consultative Selling. Sales rep should see themselves as client's extended team members, and embed themselves in growth discussions with these customers. The shift in mind-set needed to go from being an order taker to being a consultant is not easy, and will require proper training and incentives.

4. Redesign Compensation Plan. Consider variable pay with additional compensation for sales linked to margin, rather than volume; and quotas based on specific offerings, rather than overall volume.

5. Simplify the Sales Process. Centralize storage of all information about key clients and provide easy access to the sales rep. Also, cut down on the backend tasks (quoting, pricing, proposal writing, etc.) the sales rep has to perform so their client-facing time is maximized. Read Full Post