Niche Market Sales Tips
Selling to Barn Businesses
To be sure, barn businesses are major players in a growth industry -- and that presents an opportunity to entrepreneurs who are eager to get in on the action. We'll tell you how to conquer selling hurdles in the barn business market and outperform the competition.
Despite robust demand for products sold to barn businesses, penetrating the market can be daunting.
The process of converting barn businesses from prospects to satisfied customers isn't random. It takes intentionality from owners and managers to create a strategy that connects your products to your customer base.
Customer Profiles
Emerging sellers in the barn business market are advised to profile key sales targets before they invest in a specific sales strategy. A little industry knowledge can go a long way toward equipping your team with the tools required to convert high value barn business leads.
In this industry, it is especially important to develop a customer-focused approach. In general, barn businesses are very skilled at spotting B2B companies that are out of touch with the industry and they tend to hold out for more knowledgeable suppliers, even if it means paying a slightly higher price.
Sales Incentives
Ideally, you want your sales force to be self-motivated to perform at a high level. But to encourage constant improvement, consider offering sales incentives to sales reps that exceed barn business sales targets.
Incentives don't have to break your budget -- sometimes a simple, affordable incentive that recognizes a team member's performance is more valuable than an expensive incentive that lacks recognition or prestige.
Sales & Marketing Tips
Some B2B barn business suppliers opt for third-party marketing over internal marketing activities. Either way, your marketing strategy should leverage a multichannel approach that addresses the diverse ways barn business owners access information. Traditional channels like direct mail and telemarketing can be effective, but they should be combined with online strategies like e-mail campaigns, website SEO and social networking initiatives.
Leading B2B sales teams routinely use reliable lead generation mechanisms. Leads drive sales cycles. Until your company develops a system for acquiring and qualifying barn business leads, it will be difficult to capture a meaningful share of the market.
If your sales force is floundering in the area of lead generation, consider buying updated lead lists from a recognized lead list provider. Experian and other vendors have a reputation for delivering accurate and affordable barn business lead lists to B2B sellers.
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