How Elite Sales Teams Adapt to a Changing B2B Sales Model

When your B2B sales model is disrupted, will you be proactive or reactive? Learn how elite sales organizations adapt with agile strategies, strong leadership, and modern sales skills. Don’t wait for change—prepare for it. 

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Even just skimming the recent business headlines, it’s safe to say that sales models in every industry are drastically changing. Here are a few examples, impacting both B2B sales models and B2C sales models.

• Southwest Airlines is looking to revamp their passenger model after 50+ years of open seating.
• Signet Jewelers (owners of 11 brands including Kay, Zales, and Jared) is betting that couples buying engagement rings will shift to buying them online in significant numbers.
• Charles Schwab, whose bank was a reliable source of revenue and profit, is rethinking their model in the face of depositors moving their cash into products with higher interest rates.
• Slowdowns in the farming industry due to commodity price drops and heavy-equipment inventory gluts are forcing companies like John Deere to cut back on production. They’re even introducing software subscriptions to help customers extend the performance of older equipment.

Your B2B Sales Model Will Change. Will You Be Proactive or Reactive?

Sometimes the answer is both. A proactive and nimble B2B sales strategy is vital to elite sales organizations. But sometimes a trigger event requires a reactive (but still thoughtful) approach.

What Are Some Practical Ways to Adapt When Sales Models Change?

1. Maintain the right mindset.

First, decide that you as a leader will adapt and thrive. Your team must experience your sales leadership from that lens, providing confidence. The language you use matters, whether in sales meetings, sales coaching, with customer and prospects, and with executive peers. Most importantly it matters with yourself. You can’t make bold decisions from a place of negativity.

Modern sellers and leaders practice agility and maintain a strong leadership presence in all situations. For sellers, this applies to your interactions with customers and prospects, your business partners or dealers, and your network.

2. Use a nimble and current B2B sales strategy.

A five-year strategy no longer works in the environments in which we operate. Every one of the examples I’ve cited is causing CEOs and sales leaders to make and take decisive action. I see so many situations where a company hasn’t created a strong B2B sales strategy, or the one they have is covered in digital dust. My clients are creating a three-year vision, with a one-year sales strategy that is visited monthly and adjusted as required.

With any sales strategy there are five break points: lack of structure, lack of accountability, lack of implementation skill, priority mismatch, and lack of relevant data. If your sales strategy doesn’t account for these break points, you’ll be caught flat-footed when unexpected change occurs.

3. Implement B2B sales structures.

While every organization is a bit different, there are some commonly required sales structures that set you up for short-term and long-term. A strategy here is to assess the level to which you have these structures in place, and prioritize the top three structures you would like to improve first.

• Sales process
• Sales methodology
• Sales team hiring and recruiting
• Sales onboarding
• Organizational and territory design
• Compensation
• Sales enablement tools
• Strong sales managers and sales coaching
• Access to accurate sales data, such as forecasting, revenue and profit, customer and prospect data, and competitive and market data

4. Invest in modern sales skills.

Elite sales organizations have formal skill development programs for modern sellers, sales managers, and sales leaders. Whether home grown, licensed from a consulting firm, or a combination of both, ongoing and modern skill development is a necessity. It’s not a luxury, and not something that can be effectively integrated in spurts or as a fluctuating line item in the operating budget. A highly effective program will provide your sales organization with a modern sales methodology, practical application on real sales opportunities, ongoing coaching and accountability, integration into your culture.

At the seller level, if you’re operating in the same way, it will catch up when the market shifts. How can you modernize? Blend the fundamentals with updated approaches. Prospect consistently and keep a full, qualified pipeline. Be willing to upgrade your skills, whether through your company or independently. You’ll be well positioned to thrive in any environment.

Elite CEOs, Sales Leaders, and Seller Don’t Depend on the Status Quo

While I can’t predict when your sales model will be upended, I can tell you with confidence that it will be at some point. Whether by industry or global pressures, evolving buying habits, or internal change. Elite CEOs, sales leaders, and sellers don’t depend on the status quo to stay successful. They expect the status quo to change. Instead, they set themselves up with the right mindset, organizational or personal sales strategies and structures, and continued investment in skills. Focus on what you can control; you’ll be better able to evolve quickly and confidently when the market changes, and it will.

Ready to Elevate Your B2B Sales Strategy?

Don’t let disruption catch you off guard. I can help you build a proactive sales strategy with sales consulting offerings and empower your team with cutting-edge sales training. Contact me to start transforming your sales organization for lasting success.