In some ways, the sales process for small clients looks very similar to the sales process for larger corporations. Personalized introductions and connections are incredibly important, as well as understanding the client's needs.
However, there are some specific steps business development leaders can take to make the process more effective when speaking to decision-makers at small companies. Offering solutions within a smaller budget, emphasizing growth plans and showing that you understand their challenges as a small business owner can go a long way to help close the deal.
Below, the members of Forbes Business Development Council offer these tips and more to improve your sales process with smaller prospects.
Forbes Business Development Council members share their tips.
Photos courtesy of individual members.1. Give Them An Assignment
Give them some pre-work prior to your meeting. By asking them to complete a short survey or find some financial information, you can test their commitment to solving the problem and gain valuable information about their credibility, needs and priorities. - David Mattson, Sandler
2. Take A Step Back
One step many sales processes fail to recognize, but one that is important with small clients, is a "back step." It is important for companies in a B2B environment to have a connection with clients. Small customers are no exception and will require your expertise to grow. Sometimes the best approach is to back up and ensure they are always headed in the right direction for success. - Jason Holden, Akkerman
3. Build Connections
It is important to nurture your clients if you are leading a company. You need to treat them equally. I can testify that building strong connections is an effective way of creating a solid foundation for any client. I am one of those leaders who value relationships more than anything. Connecting with my clients is one step of effective sales that I am still using today. - Rachel Luna, Patriot Title Co.
4. Capture The Lead
It's easy for smaller organizations with fewer resources to apply to sales to forget how important it is to capture lead information. It's relatively straightforward to drive traffic to a website. The key to making that spend work is developing as many mechanisms as possible on the website to capture lead data; even just an email address is better than nothing! - Kane Carpenter, Daggerfinn
Forbes Business Development Council is an invitation-only community for sales and biz dev executives. Do I qualify?
5. Listen To Client Concerns
Really listen to their concerns, and help them understand weaknesses and opportunities they might not see themselves. So often smaller clients are swamped with the mundane aspects of running a business— payroll taxes, discount management, inventory and more—that they don't often see patterns that reveal how to make substantial improvements. You can help by asking questions and discovering. - Chris Foster, Modern Postcard
6. Know How Your Product Will Help A Client's Growth
Small clients need applicable, "grow or die" strategies that include in-depth analysis of their current growth blockers and hacks that can move the needle quickly. Small businesses simply don't have time for implementing "best practices" that supposedly work for corporations. A pivotal point in selling to small clients is finding out how your product can take them from zero to one quickly. - Valerie Alfimova , Appodeal Stack
7. Bring In Other Client Testimonials
When considering implementing new software solutions, small clients are more risk-averse compared to larger companies. Because of smaller budgets, their tolerance for errors is low. Work with your existing customer base to find a similar size company from the same industry and persuade that client to talk to your new prospect to add some extra peace of mind and close the deal faster. - Gregory Lipich, InfoSec Global
8. Create Unique Solutions For Each Client
Preparation and research are key. A one-size-fits-all approach is not effective for small clients, particularly in healthcare. For example, a clinic that performs breast cancer cryoablation in the U.S. has different challenges than in the European Union. To grow successful sales channels, we must put ourselves in their place by understanding the system, recognizing pain points and identifying the value of our solution. - Tlalit Bussi Tel Tzure, IceCure Medical
9. Ask Thoughtful Questions
The qualification step is always the most important in any sales cycle. This is where you ask thoughtful questions to understand the prospect's challenges, motivations and desired future state. Here is where you learn what the prospect wants to achieve. It is also when you understand if you can create meaningful value for this prospect. Large or small, you either create value or you don't. - Vincent Burruano, Vince Burruano Consulting Services, LLC
10. Develop Customizable Solutions
Develop quickly deployable, packaged yet customizable solutions. Smaller clients don't want a one-size-fits-all solution. You should develop solutions that your sales team can easily tailor, like choosing the ingredients that make up the meal. Give them options that will allow them to build tailored solutions like the ones that are often only available to larger clients. - Christopher Brunetti, Lumen Technologies
11. Understand Their Pain Points
Research and learn their business and pain points first, even before you try to reach out. Learn as much as you can. Understand that smaller clients may not need full enterprise solutions but may be willing to grow with you as their business grows. Build great relationships and help your client become successful but also be honest if you can't help. - Richard Lindhorn, VivoAquatics Inc.
12. Get Their Cell Phone Number
Without the client's cell phone number, your communication channels are limited to email and the office number, which means it's unlikely they will even know you are trying to have a conversation with them. Cell phone numbers open up the possibility of SMS messaging and direct phone calls. The responsibility for getting the cell phone number is down to your marketing team. - Russ Stephens, Association of Professional Builders
13. Give Recommendations Within Their Budget
Since growing businesses have limited resources and time, it's important to create and show your value up-front. The way to do that is by creating personalized recommendations that align with their budget and ROI needs. This will allow them to make informed decisions that will lead to business results. - Claire Alexander, Capterra
14. Send The Client A Screener Demo
Small clients are tough. Do they have the budget? Is the solution overkill for them? We achieve this by doing two things. Usually, we send them a screener demo. This allows them to look at the general solution. Then if it is what they are looking for, the next step is we reconfirm they can afford the solution. A bunch of deals get eliminated at this stage, but if they pass, a custom demo is next. - David Strausser, Vision33
