Skills and Qualities of a B2B Sales Manager
Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2024 5:46 am
B2B sales managers only need to have a set of soft skills. These include the ability to communicate effectively, creativity, stress resistance, developed emotional intelligence, and the ability to multitask.
However, to succeed in B2B sales, so-called hard skills are required - "hard" skills that can be demonstrated and objectively assessed. Specialists in this field must have technical knowledge, understand the specifics of the goods or services offered and their application, and be well informed about the business processes of clients.
For example, IT product sales managers are japan phone number required to understand the technical aspects of software, understand product architecture, and have programming skills. It is also important that they follow market trends and quickly adapt to changes in the industry.
According to the 2020 B2B Marketing Influencer Study, 77% of marketers believe that potential customers rely on recommendations from industry experts. To successfully promote products and build long-term trust with customers in the B2B market, it is important to engage sales professionals with deep knowledge of the relevant industry.
In addition, B2B sales managers must have the following skills:
ability to negotiate with both a single client and a group of people;
the ability to objectively assess potential consumer risks and find compromises, offering mutually beneficial solutions;
ability to interact effectively in a team;
patience, as the B2B sales process can be lengthy and last from several weeks to a year or more;
emotional stability even in stressful situations, such as the client's attempts to create conflict.
A B2B sales manager is not only required to negotiate, close deals, and overcome customer objections. He or she also needs to find new potential customers and turn them into actual buyers.
Skills and Qualities of a B2B Sales Manager
Source: shutterstock.com
In B2B, an individual approach to each client is extremely important. A B2B sales manager must select appropriate sales techniques taking into account the specifics of the customer's business and its needs. He must understand in which cases it is appropriate to use a consultative sales technique, and when it is necessary to apply the SPIN technique, which includes situational, problematic, extractive and guiding questions.
Case: VT-metall
Find out how we reduced the cost of attracting an application by 13 times for a metalworking company in Moscow
Find out how
2 Methods to Find a B2B Sales Manager
Due to the above differences in areas, HR experts strongly recommend hiring candidates with experience in the B2B market. However, if a manager has only ever sold industrial equipment, this does not guarantee that he or she will be able to easily handle the sale of paper cups for coffee shops.
Therefore, the decision must be made individually for each situation. The key aspect is that the candidate has an understanding of the clients' business or can quickly figure it out.
For manufacturing companies, there is an alternative - to train a sales force from among their own technical specialists who are well acquainted with the products, their capabilities and areas of application.
However, it is important to take into account an important nuance: it is not enough to simply provide a script with product data and assign the calls. The person must have sales skills and be genuinely interested in this process.
So, there are two main ways to hire B2B sales managers:
invite experienced B2B sales managers with sales experience in your or a related industry;
recruit newcomers and train them independently.
Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let's look at them in more detail.
However, to succeed in B2B sales, so-called hard skills are required - "hard" skills that can be demonstrated and objectively assessed. Specialists in this field must have technical knowledge, understand the specifics of the goods or services offered and their application, and be well informed about the business processes of clients.
For example, IT product sales managers are japan phone number required to understand the technical aspects of software, understand product architecture, and have programming skills. It is also important that they follow market trends and quickly adapt to changes in the industry.
According to the 2020 B2B Marketing Influencer Study, 77% of marketers believe that potential customers rely on recommendations from industry experts. To successfully promote products and build long-term trust with customers in the B2B market, it is important to engage sales professionals with deep knowledge of the relevant industry.
In addition, B2B sales managers must have the following skills:
ability to negotiate with both a single client and a group of people;
the ability to objectively assess potential consumer risks and find compromises, offering mutually beneficial solutions;
ability to interact effectively in a team;
patience, as the B2B sales process can be lengthy and last from several weeks to a year or more;
emotional stability even in stressful situations, such as the client's attempts to create conflict.
A B2B sales manager is not only required to negotiate, close deals, and overcome customer objections. He or she also needs to find new potential customers and turn them into actual buyers.
Skills and Qualities of a B2B Sales Manager
Source: shutterstock.com
In B2B, an individual approach to each client is extremely important. A B2B sales manager must select appropriate sales techniques taking into account the specifics of the customer's business and its needs. He must understand in which cases it is appropriate to use a consultative sales technique, and when it is necessary to apply the SPIN technique, which includes situational, problematic, extractive and guiding questions.
Case: VT-metall
Find out how we reduced the cost of attracting an application by 13 times for a metalworking company in Moscow
Find out how
2 Methods to Find a B2B Sales Manager
Due to the above differences in areas, HR experts strongly recommend hiring candidates with experience in the B2B market. However, if a manager has only ever sold industrial equipment, this does not guarantee that he or she will be able to easily handle the sale of paper cups for coffee shops.
Therefore, the decision must be made individually for each situation. The key aspect is that the candidate has an understanding of the clients' business or can quickly figure it out.
For manufacturing companies, there is an alternative - to train a sales force from among their own technical specialists who are well acquainted with the products, their capabilities and areas of application.
However, it is important to take into account an important nuance: it is not enough to simply provide a script with product data and assign the calls. The person must have sales skills and be genuinely interested in this process.
So, there are two main ways to hire B2B sales managers:
invite experienced B2B sales managers with sales experience in your or a related industry;
recruit newcomers and train them independently.
Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let's look at them in more detail.