20 B2B Buying Signals
One of the hardest things to teach an aspiring sales person is how to know when they’re talking to a worthwhile opportunity. I’ve complied a list of buying signals relevant to B2B sellers, below. Generally speaking, these signals are listed in somewhat chronological order of “appearance” and increasing strength of the buying signal.
- A website inquiry or inbound sales call or email
- Asking specific questions about the solution
- Requests for a follow up by the “buyer”
- Multiple people from the “buying” organization are independently requesting information
- Inquiring about how the solution is applied and/or implemented
- Requests for more detailed information or sample outputs be provided
- Admitting that the company has a problem or is unhappy with their current solution and that the seller’s offering may be the answer
- Learning that the organization has been looking for a solution like the seller’s
- Commenting that the contract term for the current solution is approaching expiration and that the seller should “revisit” the opportunity at that time
- Asking for examples of companies that are using the seller’s solution
- Questions about specific pricing and/or payment terms or plans
- Mentioning that there is a corporate initiate to investigate and/or acquire a solution like the seller’s
- Willingness to champion or promote the solution internally to try to acquire it
- Providing insight into the company’s buying process and/or who the ultimate decision-maker(s) is/are
- Commenting about internal funding availability or budgeting for the next fiscal year
- A request for a demonstration and/or discussion with the selling organization’s technical team to answer application questions
- A request for references or to talk to or visit the seller’s customer(s)
- Learning that the seller’s offering has made it to the “final few” or, even better, deemed the “favored” solution
- A request to discuss payment terms, delivery schedule or contractual terms
- A verbal “go-ahead” to buy
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