Episode Summary

It might sound strange, but did you know sales reps aren't actually the ones who close deals?

Hear us out for a second. (Or maybe an hour…)

Buyers. Close. Deals. Not sales reps.

If you're as curious as we were when we first heard this, you're going to love this podcast episode.

On this episode of B2B Power Hour, we talk to Nate Nasralla, the founder of Fluint. He shares how to close more deals even when you aren't in the room, ways to identify and equip your champion, and the best way to communicate with your prospect's organizations.

Sales reps need to focus on the buyer's journey, not just the sales journey. Craft your messaging accordingly: Instead of making it all about you and what you're selling, think of what your product can do for them.  

Show your buyer you understand their pain points, and offer them empathy. Then, use that as the basis of your messaging.  

The most crucial component of crafting a buyer-centric message is to find your champion. A champion is someone in your buyer's organization who can drive internal conversations. They'll know exactly what will engage others in their organization and how to elicit the best response.  

Work with your champion to establish strong messaging that resonates with their organization.

Once the deal is done, extend your support past the sales process and focus on their customer journey. Make sure that they have all the tools they need, including proper training, and that they are hitting their success milestones. (At this point, you'll have such a strong rapport, they probably won't want to part ways!)  

Ready for a behind-the-scenes look at each of the above processes and more? Listen in for step-by-step explanations from a B2B sales master.

You'll end the episode with a solid framework and actionable tips that apply to any B2B seller.

What he does: As the founder of Fluint, Nate helps B2B sales teams create deal champions and win more sales, even when they aren't in the room.

Key quote: "The art of enabling your champion lies in developing a message that speaks to what will motivate and engage others."

Where to find him: Blog | LinkedIn

B2B Power Plays

Top takeaways from this week’s conversation

💸 Buyers close deals, not sales reps

Think about the make-or-break moments throughout the sales process. Do they happen when the seller is in the room? Nope.

The moments that create (or kill) deals happen during internal meetings when the sales rep isn't even present.

Nate founded his entire company because of this realization. To overcome that challenge, you need a champion at the buyer's company who can pitch your product to their team in their own words. Work with your champion so they can properly handle questions or objections that come up.

💪 The art of enabling your champion

The first step to closing more deals when you aren't in the room is to make sure you have a champion. This person is responsible for driving internal conversations, so make sure they've bought in completely before moving forward in the sales process.

Then, work together to craft a message that enables your champion to speak to what others in their organization will be motivated by. Honing in on a message that shows you're able to empathize with the buyer and having an internal advocate are key factors to closing more deals.  

🔑 Buyer's journey → customer’s journey

Once a deal closes, the buyer's journey turns into the customer's journey. Make sure you extend your sales plan past the onboarding process, especially if you're using a mutual action plan (or MAP).

Lay out a roadmap that continues until the buyer's point of success, rather than ending it when the ink dries on the sales contract.  

With certain enterprise sales teams, Nate actually changed the sales compensation structure to include a 90-day success milestone. This ensured the customer wasn't forgotten about post-sale and pushed sales reps to provide exceptional support for new customers.

Episode Highlights

Inflection points from the show

[2:48] Buyer's journey 3.0: Nate explains the new era of sales, which he calls the "Buyer's Journey 3.0."

[7:04] Finding your champion: Nate recommends all companies (or at least sales managers) focus on a two-step plan for a stronger selling process and higher close rates.

[10:08] Hone your messaging: Rather than focusing solely on product messaging, Nate explains the most commonly overlooked aspects of buyer messaging and how to overcome them.

[15:29] Problem-person fit: When you use language that shows you're empathetic and perceptive towards someone’s pain points, they're going to gravitate towards you. Nate describes how to use this "problem-person fit" as the basis for your messaging.

[16:43] Camouflaging sales communications: Learning how to make your sales materials blend in as internal documents can be a huge win. This insight is actually how Nate came to found his company Fluint.

[23:46] Collaborating with your champion: Nate describes the art of enabling your champion to advocate for you, whether they're a first-time or seasoned buyer.

[31:12] Enterprise sales: Learn how to bridge the gap between sales and CS processes for enterprise sales. (Plus, Nate has an interesting way to adjust seller compensation.)

[36:59] Nate's power hour: First, Nate would look at recently stalled deals and re-engage them with "creative left-field outreach." He explains exactly what this means and how to bring new life to a stale deal.

[46:03] Social selling time blocking: Social selling doesn't mean you have to spend five hours on social media every day. Nick lays out how he successfully lands prospects on LinkedIn in as little as an hour each day.