Selling Business-to-Business (B2B) in a Digital World

Selling business to business (B2B) through online tools can be extremely difficult. The internet is full of slimy scams that can tarnish your reputation, especially when you’re simply reaching out to prospects about relevant services or products. Prospective clients often wonder if you’re just a robot sending mass emails in hopes of a tiny response rate. Cutting through the spam clutter is difficult but achievable using a few effective strategies.

1. Personalize the Email & Offer Value

In my business of selling website services, I come across many poorly designed websites, which motivates me to reach out to business owners and inquire about their thought process. A simple, personalized email allows you to provide basic information without being immediately dismissed as spam.

When sending a cold email, start with a personalized message. For instance, say something like:
“Hey Mike, I was in your restaurant last week—great meatloaf by the way—and I noticed you needed [insert service]…”

Adding a personal touch goes a long way in establishing trust. Furthermore, offer the prospect something valuable. For example, if you sell business insurance, include a few tips relevant to their business and areas they may be lacking. In my case, I often create an analysis video of their website, providing a few quick tips they can implement themselves. This approach may seem labor-intensive, but it beats being caught in a spam filter without a fighting chance.

2. Follow Up With a Phone Call

Reinforce your human touch by following up with a phone call. After sending an initial email, I typically follow up with another email. If there’s still no response, I call them. Many times, when I ask, “Did you get a chance to review my email?” they apologize because they mistakenly thought it was spam. A direct phone call gives prospects confidence to revisit your email and consider the information.

3. Last Resort: Send a Personalized Postcard

If you still don’t receive a response after multiple attempts, try sending a personalized postcard. When emails and phone calls go unanswered, mailing a physical card can be an effective way to grab their attention. I use services like SendOutCards.com, which streamline the process. I typically send a postcard with an image of their website on the front, which stands out amid the typical stack of mail coupons and bills.

This approach often yields surprising results. Just yesterday, a prospect I had already given up on called to apologize for not responding sooner after receiving my postcard. Sometimes, a little extra effort can make all the difference in establishing a valuable connection.

Personalize the Email & Offer Value

In my business of selling website services I come across a lot of ugly websites. This encourages me to reach out to the owner of the business in order to enquire about what on earth they are thinking?! A simple email is a great way to reach them and supplies basic information for them to consider. As long as you send them a personal email you won’t be marked automatically as spam.

However, when the prospect receives the email they possibly will classify you in their own minds as spam. One way to assure them you are not spam is to start the email with a personalized message. “Hey Mike, I was in your restaurant eating last week–the meatloaf tasted awesome–and I noticed you needed [insert service]…”

It’s also important to take some time give them something they find valuable. If you sell business insurance, put some basic tips that are related to their business and how you see they are lacking. I generally put together an analysis video of their website so they can watch and learn a few quick tips about why their website isn’t functioning as they might think. Much of the information I give them they could do on their own.

This might seem like  a lot of preparation simply to contact one prospect. At times this is true but it sure beats getting caught in a spam filter and never have a chance to begin with.

Follow Up With a Phone Call

Follow up to make sure they realize you are human. I generally send a follow up email after my initial email and if they don’t respond I give them a call on the phone. I can’t count the times I have called someone and asked, “Did you get a chance to review my email?” They then apologize because they thought I was spam. This gives them confidence to look through my email and consider the information.

Last Resort: Sent a Personalized Postcard

Many times I email a prospect and get no response. I send a follow up email–no response. I give them a call and get pushed to their voice mail again and again–no response. At this point I have put a lot of effort into contacting this person so I want to make sure I take every opportunity to let them know I am wanting to help them. The best last resort is to send a card in the mail. There are great services out there for this.

The one I use is SendOutCards.com. You can do it all online and they make it simple. I generally send a postcard with a picture of their website on the front. This gets their attention when it comes with a stack of mail coupons and bills. Just yesterday I had a prospect (that I had already given up on) call me and say they got my postcard and apologized for not responding sooner.