The Timeless Tenets of B2B Sales Effectiveness

Introduction

Wait! What?! How can there be timeless tenets for sales? Nothing is constant except change, and in the past few years, especially, sales has changed dramatically, hasn’t it?

Buyer behavior has evolved. Sales technology has advanced rapidly. AI has entered the scene. How can there possibly be timeless tenets?

Let’s explore.

The Illusion of Change in Sales Tactics

In the ever-evolving world of sales, new tactics emerge regularly. Salespeople adopt “tips and tricks” like pattern interrupts, unconventional communication methods, and even what I call “Jedi Mind Tricks” to capture attention.

These include phrases like the classic, “Do you have 27 seconds?” or “I know this is a cold call,” and other permission-based approaches. They include head nodding in hopes the prospect will mirror you and say yes to something (the ultimate Jedi Mind Trick). They use tactics like emailing as if texting – avoiding punctuation, using all lowercase letters, or purposefully misspelling words. Tonality is big with these practitioners, many of whom employ what’s referred to as dark psychology, which is more like Machiavellian selling than servant leadership.

SIDEBAR: I do recognize that some people sometimes need a nudge to do things that are in their own best interest. Lord knows that I do. Once you know you have NASA (Need And Solution Alignment) – meaning you have a great solution that will solve their problem or help them capitalize on an opportunity – using ethical influence and persuasion, with the right intention, is an effort to help someone. That’s as close to the line of manipulation as I ever want to skate.

Tactics like these only work for so long. Eventually, so many sellers use them that buyers become numb. So, tactic-starved sellers are always on the hunt for the latest “tip.” They are constantly changing as buyers become aware of their tactics and adapt, rendering them less effective over time.

LinkedIn is full of this. It’s like a feeding frenzy. I remember one post on LinkedIn that recommended lying to the person who answered the phone to get someone else’s mobile number. Until I and a few others blasted this “selling with lies” approach, people were complimenting this well-followed guru for his ingenuity. Truly puzzling. The post was eventually taken down.

Users of these approaches will tell you they work. Sure, throw enough spaghetti at the wall and some of it will stick. (Like the old quote from Chet Holmes that three percent of the market is ready to buy what you’re selling when you approach them.) I also think it’s insular – these approaches tend to work in a circle of others who also use the approaches. SaaS software is a good example of this. A lot of SaaS is sales-related, so sellers are calling sales leaders in other SaaS companies whose sellers do the same nonsense.

It’s funny how this thought process of seeking the latest and greatest tips and tricks feeds itself. I remember debating with someone on the leadership team of a popular conversation intelligence software company that was publishing their “research” based on analysis of recorded sales calls. They postulated that their research highlighted what was working now, but suggested that this was going to evolve as buyers got used to the methods and that top performers would be doing something else eventually.

I couldn’t disagree more. In my 16 years of conducting Top Performer Analyses inside a variety of companies, the true top 4% performers (the top 20% of the top 20%) rarely shifted their approach. I also saw a lot of consistencies and patterns emerge across the years, across all different companies.

I believe this was possible because they weren’t using tips and tricks. They were high-functioning, consultative communicators with situational fluency and conversation mastery. They understood their business, their target market, their buyer personas, their solutions, and what problems buyers typically faced that the seller could solve. Their approach was more of a business discussion than tips and tricks, a play on words, or a cutesy follow-up (no, I haven’t been kidnapped, and no, my picture is not on a milk carton).

The Enduring Nature of Consultative Selling 

As suggested by my experience with Top Performer Analysis, despite the constant flux of sales tactics, the core principles of consultative selling remain steadfast. Originating with Mack Hanan’s book, “Consultative Selling,” first published in 1970, consultative selling has been written about from a variety of perspectives, with various other names, and spawned a dozen sales methodologies and sales training companies over the years.
The approach is buyer-centric, value-focused, and outcome-oriented. It emphasizes great interpersonal communication skills, empathy, curiosity, situational fluency, conversation mastery, and perhaps obviously, acting as a consultant. These principles have stood the test of time because they are rooted in genuine human interaction, problem-solving, and other-centric understanding.

Consultative selling is not about quick wins or manipulative tactics. It’s about building long-term relationships built on trust and mutual benefit. By focusing on the buyer’s needs and providing tailored solutions, sales professionals can create lasting value. This approach requires a deep understanding of the buyer’s business, challenges, and goals, which can only be achieved through active listening and thoughtful questioning.

The Slow Evolution of Human Behavior

While technology advances rapidly, the human brain and behavior evolve at a much slower pace. The limbic system, responsible for our emotions and decision-making, hasn’t changed much over millennia. This means that great communication and operating in the buyer’s best interest remain effective strategies. These timeless principles are retro yet modern, proving that caring communication never goes out of style.

Understanding human behavior is crucial for effective selling. Despite the influx of new tools and technologies, the fundamental aspects of human interaction remain the same. People still respond to empathy, authenticity, and genuine interest. They still make decisions the same way. Tools are different, the massive amount of information can be overwhelming, and economic pressures ebb and flow. But by leveraging these timeless principles, sales professionals can connect with buyers on a deeper level, fostering trust and loyalty. The Human Differentiators reign, especially in the Age of AI.

Past B2B buyer research (starting back in the mid-to-late 2000s) began to show that buyers were waiting longer to engage sellers. This has continued and worsened from the seller perspective. Today, some buyers prefer to avoid sellers altogether, and only 20% regret their unguided purchase decisions. Can you blame them for trying to avoid us based on the stereotypical seller behaviors, many of which continue? In a previous newsletter, I wrote about why poor sales behaviors persist and detailed some of those behaviors.

Other recent research, such as the findings in “The JOLT Effect,” has shown that buyer behavior has evolved again. Buyers are now more motivated by Fear of Messing Up (FOMU) and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). I laud this research, its findings, and the book. At the same time, great sellers have always been aware of buyer’s emotions and risk mitigation. They understand that addressing a buyer’s fears and concerns is crucial for building trust and moving the sale forward. By focusing on reducing the buyer’s perceived risks and providing reassurance, sellers can effectively navigate these modern buyer motivations. These are things that ebb and flow, as mentioned earlier, and it is why situational fluency is so helpful for sellers.

Modern Sales Foundations and Insight Selling

In more recent sales history, methodologies like insight selling have emerged to complement consultative selling. Insight selling involves being well-prepared, researched, and possessing deep business acumen. Sellers need to have a point of view and expertise to capture buyer attention and interest, potentially spurring an “Aha Moment” with data and insights. For more details on layering insight selling into a sales methodology, you can refer to this article I wrote for Distribution Strategy Group titled, How Distributors Can Layer Insight Selling into Their Sales Methodology.

Insight selling is about providing valuable insights that challenge the buyer’s thinking and add new perspectives. This approach requires a deep understanding of the market, industry trends, and the buyer’s specific context. By combining consultative selling with insight selling, sales professionals can offer more strategic value, positioning themselves as trusted advisors rather than just vendors.

This is an outgrowth and response to the availability of information on the Internet and changes in buyer behavior. The needs-based selling approach or the “tell me about your business” approach is not as accepted by buyers who expect you to come to the table prepared, knowing something about them, and bringing some expertise. Here’s what confuses people though – this doesn’t mean consultative selling,  solution selling, or value selling are dead – it just means it’s shifted. In some cases, the conversation and relationship are going to start differently or at a different point than it used to. All of the consultative skills, however, are still needed.

“For sellers to excel with insight selling, they need a solid foundation of executive-level, consultative communication skills”

And something else that catches people off-guard – for sellers to excel with insight selling, they first need a solid foundation of executive-level, consultative communication skills. I’ve designed courses on insight selling and adaptive selling, and I’ve seen these methods implemented. They are difficult to scale as it is (trying to get average sellers to sell like the top 4%), and it’s a lot harder without the consultative foundation.

So, yes, consultative selling, done well, is still needed, and modern.

A “Retro-Modern” Approach

The timeless principles of consultative selling are both retro and modern. They blend traditional interpersonal skills, a consultative approach, and Human Differentiators with modern tools and insights. This isn’t new, it’s often just repackaged (What’s old is new again). Advanced sellers and top 4% performers have been using these principles for decades, demonstrating their enduring effectiveness. By focusing on building genuine relationships and providing value to buyers (from the buyers’ perspective), sales professionals can navigate and bypass the ever-changing landscape of sales tactics.

This retro-modern approach leverages the best of both worlds. It combines the timeless principles of effective communication and relationship-building with the latest tools and current research on B2B buying (situational fluency). By staying true to these core principles while adapting to new trends, sales professionals can achieve sustainable success in a dynamic sales environment.

Some Timeliness Tenets

Okay, so what are some of these timeless tenets? It’s a surprisingly long list.

At SPARXiQ, we teach them in a course we call Modern Sales Foundations. There are 26 modules with 52 videos taught over about 8 months. But I will list a few here, to give you a sense of how different they are, compared to what the Tips & Tricks Crowd do.

• ACC = Acknowledge (with empathy), Clarify, and Confirm. This simple communication model helps you better understand anyone you’re speaking with. It demonstrates that you care about them and truly want to understand and support them.
• NASA = Need And Solution Alignment. This is one of the ultimate buyer-centric principles that ensures that you are operating in your buyer’s best interests. As part of your qualification model, ensuring NASA means you are confident that you have a great solution to address the buyers’ challenges or enable them to capitalize on their opportunities (or both).
• Managing Buying Process Exit Criteria radically improves opportunity win rates. Exit criteria are whatever each decision maker and influencer need to see, hear, understand, and believe in the current stage to move forward to the next stage, with you. Most sellers do the same things, the same way, for all buyers, every time. We encourage sellers to uncover, clarify, satisfy, and confirm satisfaction of the buying process exit criteria for each decision maker or influencer, in each stage.

There certainly are many more concepts and skills, but these are the kinds of foundational and timeless tenets that are far more powerful than tips and tricks.

Closing Thoughts

In conclusion, while sales tactics, tips, and tricks may change, the core principles of effective selling remain timeless. By embracing buyer-centric consultative selling, focusing on genuine communication, and operating in the buyer’s best interest, sales professionals can achieve lasting success. Remember, an other-centric approach, servant leadership, great communication, and true empathy never go out of style. Until my robot calls your robot and schedules our lunch date, give these tenets some thought.

If you’d like to explore how we’ve incorporated them into Modern Sales Foundations, check out…  

Resources

• • • Why Do Poor Sales Behaviors Persist? An Opinion Piece from the Trenches | LinkedIn
    • How Minor Tweaks in Your Selling Systems Can Produce Major Results | LinkedIn
    • Why Value Stories Trump Value Propositions | LinkedIn
    • In Modern B2B Sales, What Does “Buyer-Centric” Really Mean? | LinkedIn
    • Enable Your Sellers to GTM More Effectively | LinkedIn
    • What is Servant Leadership? – Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership

You can read Mike’s original newsletter post here.