How To Get Corporate Clients: The Ultimate Guide
Resources for Winning Corporate Clients
This is a collection of some of the books and other resources I've found the most useful in building up knowledge of corporate buying.
Overall Strategies for Winning Corporate Clients
Selling to Big Companies is Jill Konrath's very practical guide to how small businesses can break into and win large corporate clients.
It covers every key step of the process from targeting the right clients to finding out who the key individuals are, crafting a "breakthrough value proposition", making contact and running effective sales meetings.
Tom Searcy's Whale Hunting started off life as a free PDF but was so popular it became a best-selling book.
It's a little bit more aimed at larger organisations selling in teams, but the process it outlines for scouting, selling and then overdelivering to large clients can be used by any sized organisation.
Strategic Selling is the classic work introducing many ideas now in common currency in marketing and sales.
It's a great foundation for understanding the dynamics in corporate decision making, aiming for win-win, and the use of a coach to help you navigate the decision-making process.
The Challenger Customer is the follow-up to the best-selling Challenger Sale and focuses more on decision-making processes in large organisations.
It particularly highlights how decisions have become more complex, leading to a "lowest common denominator" consensus that requires sellers to challenge through commercial insight.
Buying Facilitations looks at the wider aspects of buying processes in client organisations.
In particular, it highlights that very often the key barriers that prevent a purchase are less to do with the product and seller and more to do with the client's own internal pressures and issues. It becomes a key skill of the seller to help the buyer navigate those issues successfully.
Resources for Following Up with Corporate Clients
The Ultimate Sales Machine introduced the concept of the Dream 100 which we cover in our Follow Up section.
It outlines a systematic process for consistent follow up with potential clients to break through the noise and get on their radar screen.
Resources for Selling to Corporate Clients
SPIN Selling is another classic work based on the research of Neil Rackham into large sales.
It reveals the correct sequence for questioning to build up the client's recognition of their needs and crucially, to see the true impact of the issue on their business - motivating them to buy.
The Challenger Sale is based on recent research into the skills and behaviours of successful salespeople in large, complex sales.
It highlights how these "challengers" approach customers with unique insights about how they can save or make money. They're assertive, pushing back when necessary and taking control of the sale.
It highlights how these "challengers" approach customers with unique insights about how they can save or make money. They're assertive, pushing back when necessary and taking control of the sale.
Resources for for Winning Proposals and Tenders
RFPs Suck is the somewhat tongue-in-cheek title of a very thorough guide to how small businesses can win more than their fair share of tenders and request for proposal processes.
It covers how to decide which RFPs to respond to and which to avoid, how to overcome barriers to accessing key personnel, how to differentiate your response from your competitors, and how to overcome large companies fears of dealing with small firms.
Major Account Sales Strategy is another classic book describing corporate decision making.
It's particularly useful for understanding how to gain entry into new client accounts, and how to "overtake" competitors in proposal and competitive bid processes.
Please note, the Amazon links are affiliate links and I'll get a small commission if you buy through them. Think of it like buying me a beer :)
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