It’s Time for B2B Sales to Get REAL

By Nina Butler on August 5, 2019

No offense to Siri and Alexa, but being human is where it’s at.

However, while B2B sales and marketing professionals have made strides with marketing automation and other smart tools, does it ever feel like we’re becoming too automated and robotic ourselves? Like the technology is sitting between us and our prospects and customers, instead of sitting beside or behind us and pushing us closer?

Picture your own email inbox. Is it filled with messages that you know were auto-generated? Can you tell when you’re just a number in a colossal contact list? Do you sometimes even feel a flutter of excitement when you get a written-just-for-you email from real, live, human person?

We can tell when people are being real with us – and when they’re not. And in B2B sales and marketing, real tends to win out every time.

What does it take to be real in B2B selling and marketing efforts?

It starts with the REAL Framework.

Wait – what is the REAL Framework?

The REAL Framework to humanizing B2B selling is Alyce’s approach to empowering sales professionals and their marketing counterparts to be more human – and more effective.

Let’s break it down, mnemonic-style: 

R is for RELATABLE

In B2B sales, being relatable means you approach each opportunity with the mindset that you’re selling to a person, not a persona. You talk to people as people and make efforts to connect with them on topics and interests that may not have anything to do with the products or services in your portfolio. When you’re being relatable, you’re asking questions and really listening to your prospects and customers – you’re getting to know them as individuals, not as personas, at a target account.

E is for EMPATHETIC

In B2B sales, when you’re being empathetic, you’re putting yourself into your prospect’s shoes. When we’re embracing relatability, we’re focusing on individuality and uniqueness, and when we’re embracing empathy, we’re acknowledging some of the things that we all share. We all want to feel like our time is being respected, that we are valued, that we are more than a number on a list. When you’re being empathetic in your selling efforts, you are striving to take a “give first” approach with your prospects and customers.

A is for AUTHENTIC

At conferences and in articles galore, we hear about the importance of authenticity in our careers and our personal lives. There’s a good reason: being authentic is key for any good relationship to work. B2B selling hinges on meaningful relationships, and relationships are a two-way street. Thinly-veiled sales pitches or robotic-sounding messages not only make you seem inauthentic, but they could damage the relationships you’re building with your prospects and customers.

L is for LASTING

Forgettability is probably on many a sales professional’s list of worst nightmares. For B2B sales professionals, breaking through the clutter and being memorable is harder than ever. Let’s face it: people are inundated with countless messages and grabs for attention each day. Finding ways to create a lasting first impression and memorable interactions thereafter is key to cementing strong relationships with your prospects and customers.

Have a great example of REAL B2B selling? Comment below or drop the Alyce team a line to chat.

For more about Alyce’s REAL approach to humanizing B2B sales and marketing, check out this episode of the MarTech Podcast, and stay tuned for upcoming blog posts that delve deeper into each letter of the framework.