In the last two decades, building material sales has undergone a significant transformation. Driven by technological advancements, shifts in customer behaviour, building regulations and global economic changes, the landscape is more multifaceted than ever. The competitive nature of the market has intensified as consumers have become more discerning and decision-making processes have become more intricate. On top of that, builders and general contractors (GCs) have become more comfortable trying alternative products or switching to different distribution channels based on their current needs. So you can say that it is crucial to adopt a strategic approach and differentiate yourself from the competition. Here are three effective strategies to enhance your sales performance and carve out a unique position in the market.
Often, because salespeople are time poor, they create generic pitches that don’t resonate with many buyers. When selling building materials, it’s critical to segment your buyers, and understand their different goals, challenges and how you can help them.
For example, if you’re speaking with residential builders, you may have a very different message to when speaking with commercial contractors. A useful way to truly understand your buyers is to create a customer persona. This is a hypothetical profile and it often outlines the characteristics, behaviours, goals, and challenges of your ideal buyer. Creating this will help you personalise your interactions, as well as be able to have peer to peer conversations that connect.
While inbound leads are great to have, if you want to eliminate the competition, and be there first, then it’s important to be proactive at continuously reaching out to your ideal customers. Continue to fill your pipeline with new leads consistently and know how to advance them into opportunities. If you know that you have a product fit that can be valuable to the customer, then don’t be shy to connect and build awareness. It’s essential to be 5 steps ahead and anticipate needs before they arise. For instance, if you specialise in commercial tiles, reaching out to architects before they have a specific project in mind can lead to future opportunities. By nurturing these connections and consistently providing value, you can stay top-of-mind and increase your chances of securing long-term partnerships.
Did you know that studies show that 78% of salespeople using social media perform better than their peers. Although there are many platforms that you can use to network and nurture leads digitally, LinkedIn is ranked as the most effective for connecting with business leads. Think about all of the contractors, builders, procurement officers, architects, developers, and anyone else making buying decisions who may be on LinkedIn. Begin to connect with them strategically, and build the know, like and trust factor. Share valuable content and insights that will educate, and help create awareness about you, your company and products. Be sure to engage with your connections, by reaching out to them via message without trying to sell anything. If they have an active profile then engage with their posts.
#building supply sales #building material sales techniques #building material sales training
Rana Kordahi specialises in sales training, coaching and strategy. For the past 10 years she has coached and trained thousands of salespeople and their leaders go from struggling to achieving remarkable sales success. Rana has been featured as aTop 15 Sales Experts to Watch in 2021 by The Australian Business Journal as well as top 27 Sales Influencers you Should Follow in 2024 by Salesforce. You can connect with her for more sales tips on LinkedIn.
Would you like to learn the exact strategy and process for building your sales pipeline and getting more qualified meetings in the building material industry? Then be sure to join our FREE Webinar - Developing a Durable Pipeline in Construction Sales - Webinar
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