Connecting Data to the B2B Sales Cycle
The B2B sales cycle is a bit more complex than the B2C sales cycle. While B2C sales are typically between a business and a consumer, B2B sales are between businesses. B2B sales involve a lot more people, usually important decision-makers. You have to start the B2B sales cycle by finding prospects. The best way to find prospects is through data, such as data found in an online business directory.
An online business directory is a large database of thousands of businesses looking to buy products from other businesses. Business directories can provide you with contact numbers and important business information about thousands of businesses in a target area. It’s important to ensure the data in the directory is up-to-date because you don’t want to waste time calling the wrong prospects.
Benefits of Quality Data at Various Stages
The data you use to build your prospect list should be high-quality. Quality data will help your marketing and sales teams make smarter decisions and gain better insight from analyzing customer patterns. It will also help your teams understand your competitors’ behaviors and market trends. Gaining access to quality data can decrease the length of the sales cycle. If the sales cycle sees a mere 15% decrease in length, there can be a 30% increase in sales revenue.
There are other benefits of quality data at various stages in the sales cycle.
During the prospecting stage, quality data can provide you with contact details, job titles, geographic locations, pain points, and intent for purchase. Most of this information can be found through an online business directory.
Quality data is necessary during initial contact with your prospects. You have to be sure you’re calling the right company and speaking with the right contact person. Up-to-date business directories will have current contact information for B2B prospects.
Data can also play a significant role in the presentation stage, as well as the closing of the sale. If you utilize all the information available to you, you should be able to close the deal quickly and efficiently. The closing of a sale should be the easiest part of the sales cycle.
The Post-Sales Process
One step you should do is check-in with your prospects post-sale. It is important to speak with key decision-makers at the companies to ask for referrals and repeat sales. Keeping track of referrals and future sales can help you complete the sales cycle quicker in the future.
Find a Business Directory
If you are looking for data to improve the sales cycle, look no further than Scott’s Info. We have a company directory for Canada, and you can find a local business directory for your area. Contact us today for more information!