B2B Sales Consulting Strategies SaaS Companies Need to Know [Updated]

What is a B2B sales consultant?

B2B sales consultancy firms (like us) are businesses that create sales strategies just for you.

To give you an idea, B2B sales specialists assist you at every stage of the sales process. When working with these firms, a B2B sales consultant will take care of all of this and more for you. 

Whether you're having trouble generating leads, engaging with prospects becomes more complex, or sales lifecycle management is burdensome, these experts will have your back.

Sales Consulting in SaaS: Quick Stats

Do you think sales consulting in SaaS is a big thing?

Based on what we found? You would definitely realize that it’s been around for a while and is a significant part of the industry.

A study published by Statista Research Department found that despite some fluctuations, the average annual revenue per consultant of professional services in Software as a Service (SaaS) companies worldwide increased between 2015 and 2020. 

Take a look at this graph for reference:

During the 2020 survey, respondents reported an average annual revenue per consultant of 216,000 US dollars.

Surely there’s a reason why SaaS businesses hire sales consultants, right? Maybe you should too.

Find out why:

Why should you hire a B2B sales consultant?

The overarching goal of outsourcing sales consulting services is to increase sales –  and as a result, profitability.

Outsourcing a sales consultant is suitable for:

• Sales departments struggling to execute successful sales strategies
• Managers struggling to manage their staff successfully
• New sales reps needing sales-related coaching

There are multiple other motivating factors as to why you should hire B2B sales consultants as they offer a variety of services to their clients; we listed down 5 for you. 

1. Provide a Third-party Perspective

Sometimes a company's employees cannot spot weaknesses in the standard sales process. 

B2B sales consultants offer such enterprises a third-party perspective and analyze the fundamental cause of the discrepancies between expected and actual outcomes.

2. New-age Repair Strategies

The sales consulting firm's diagnostic approach reveals the organization's most acceptable practices and those that need improvement. 

They're also well-versed in the industry's best practices. As a result, the B2B sales expert restores the organization's sales process by utilizing the best internal and external environments.

3. Customized Solutions 

Each sector is distinct from the next. Similarly, each company in the same field is unique in its way. When it comes to sales consulting services, there are no hard and fast rules. 

A sales consultant first learns about your sector before recommending sales methods that will perform best for you.

4. Focus on the Tactics

Sales leaders and executives are frequently so preoccupied with the sales cycles of diverse customers that they cannot identify or implement new methods. They may be working hard, yet they may not realize they are betting on the wrong horse.

Sales managers may not have enough time in their daily routine to respond to changing industry needs. Sales consultancy services can meet this need. Sales consultants develop ways to assist organizations in enhancing their sales processes and closing deals.

5. Sales Expertise

Most start-ups and small businesses cannot afford to hire a professional sales force. On the other hand, consultants are crucial for such companies to launch a successful sales plan.

What does a B2B SaaS consultant do?

B2B (Business to Business) sales consultants are individuals within a firm who provide services to another business, concentrating on expanding a specific part of the sales process.

These include messaging, automation, marketing, and so on.

Most (but not all) B2B sales consultants do not focus on generating new qualifying opportunities because many of them are previous sales executives or VPs who haven't worked with lead generation in a long time.

Why should you use sales consulting services?

Consultants do not simply hand you a pre-made solution for your troubles, as they know that every company requires a different method to solve their issues.

They analyze your sales department's existing processes to ensure that they develop a growth model unique to fit your business. 

Experts like them know that a ready-made solution to current sales problems does not have the same beneficial impact as implementing solutions recommended by a consultant who specifically studied the team's operations.

Who uses services from sales consulting firms?

The question as to who uses sales consulting services falls into sales departments of all sizes. Companies like you and others can hire a consultant for different reasons. 

There are different consulting services (we'll talk more about that later) that fit different needs and address different pain points. But in the case of hiring sales consultants, departments usually hire them to focus solely on certain areas of the department.

For example, a consultant appointed to evaluate the sales department's leadership would concentrate on existing management approaches.

Does this assure you that sales consultants can be hired as needed? 

They can indeed address issues presented to them, as long as you find someone that fits perfectly with your business (and we'll gladly teach you how to find them). 

Services Offered by Sales Consulting Firms

As promised, you're about to become acquainted with the different sales consulting services. The variety of services each sales consulting firm offers will help you decide what's best for your business when you outsource a consultant.

Here are some services offered by sales consulting companies:

• Sales development consulting
• Sales performance training
• Lead generation
• B2B sales consultancy
• Customer development partner for B2B startups
• Sales Rep and manager training company
• Research and advisory

Potential Downsides to Sales Consulting Services

Hiring a consultant to help you make the right choices and ultimately lead you the right way does not eliminate the risks and challenges. 

Their job is to reduce practices in your business that does more harm than good; to some, this can make them feel underestimated or even insulted. It's human nature to feel inferior when corrected, and with outsourcing an expert? Be ready for criticism. 

A company's connection with a consultant should be professional, collaborative, and amicable. A word of advice might sometimes appear to be criticism, and it's essential to see it as it is. 

Remind yourself of the shared objective, which is to improve operations at your business. 

It may be better to look for a new consultant if you discover that you cannot collaborate with them due to personality conflicts. This new consultant should be able to work constructively with you and provide sound advice on how to develop your company.

Some consultants may still approach the work with a one-size-fits-all mentality, even though consultants should be experts at developing customized solutions for each firm. 

If consultants' strategies fall short of your expectations, they should be held accountable rather than presenting a solution and then leaving before it is fully implemented.

Sales Consulting Services vs Sales Consulting Software

Businesses could also consider using sales training and onboarding software to create guidelines and procedures for new team members.

General solution consulting companies offer comprehensive consulting relating to specific areas of a company, while Salesforce consulting companies focus solely on consulting related to Salesforce.

For instance, a corporation might hire a solution consultant to find prospective software solutions that could assist an IT department in implementing an agile approach to project collaboration.

What do SaaS companies need to know about sales consulting strategies?

1. Generating Warm Qualified Leads

The sales process begins with the generation of high-quality leads. I can't emphasize enough how critical it is to produce high-quality leads for a growing sales-focused company.

Sales consultants are aware of the difficulties that a firm experiences when taking this first step. They understand that traditional cold calling will not suffice. They know that only one or two lead creation tactics are no longer effective.

As a result, they provide a 'Generating Qualified Leads' outsourced sales solution. Not only does this solution identify, engage, and qualify verified leads, but it also revives dormant opportunities.

2. Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Service 

Repeat customers are a valuable resource for any business. Because a returning customer is nine times more likely to convert than a new consumer, it is why ABM is so important to sales consultants.

They offer an ABM solution for businesses looking for high-value consumers. The three steps in the ABM process are identifying high-value customers, individualized content marketing, and executing content campaigns through the appropriate marketing channel. They can also work on pricing and other influencing elements to attract repeat clients to the company.

3. Market Research and Insight Services 

No company can be successful without a strong marketing department. To assist this team, sales consultants investigate activities at every stage of the sales lifecycle.

This marketing study aids in the reduction of unnecessary resources, the concentration of efforts on certain high-level accounts, and the optimization of sales and marketing values. They can uncover dangers using regressive marketing analysis before significantly impacting the organization's procedures.

4. Sales Lifecycle Management

Sales is not a single activity, but a collection organized in a specific order referred to as the sales lifecycle. It is easier to generate leads, but sales are all about seeing the process through to the conclusion and effectively sealing the deal. Creating and managing an end-to-end program is a significant task for salespeople.

Sales consultants can assist you in this regard. They can help you not only with sales strategy but also with managing the sales lifecycle. They help you by preparing a business plan appropriate for your industry and assisting you in closing as many agreements as possible.

5. Digital Marketing

Without the digital marketing sector, today's corporate world would be impossible. Visibility online is essential to reaching your full potential. However, because everyone is now growing a sales-focused company online, you must do things differently to get noticed.

Five billion people used the internet as of April 2022, representing 63 percent of the world's population. 4.65 billion people, or more than 93 percent of this total, used social media.

Today, it is impossible to picture life without the internet. A key tenet of the contemporary information society, the internet connects billions of people globally.

Sales consultants may assist you with brand awareness campaigns. They will help you boost followers to make you more visible to a bigger audience, increase website conversions, and paid advertisements on social media platforms.

6. Sales Leader Recruitment 

Sales consulting services can assist you in finding sales leaders for your business. They can assist you in developing and implementing a strategy. That isn't all, though.

They recognize that sales are a continuous activity that necessitates brains that work tirelessly to increase your profits. As a result, they may also assist you in hiring top sales performers with proven sales experience, particularly in the same or related business. 

They can assist you in making better hiring decisions! Are you still not yet convinced?

What's the truth about hiring a sales consultant?

Choosing to hire a sales trainer or consultant is similar to selecting to go to counseling. You have three options:

1. Take Ownership of Your Situation

You can accept responsibility for it, recognize that you require assistance, and actively seek guidance and support while demonstrating a commitment to change.

2. Go Through the Motions 

You may have decided to seek assistance, but your ego hinders you from listening and acting on the advice you receive.

Because of a lack of consistency, coaching, or self-accountability, you may go through the motions, but nothing sticks. The ego frequently boils down to "budget" or deciding to just do it all by yourself.

3. Don't Do Anything (Smokescreen for Job Security)

It's a fool's errand to believe that things will improve without a significant systemic change. 

No, "beatings will continue until morale improves" is no longer a feasible strategy. That strategy may have worked for Gen-X sales teams, but this is the twenty-first century, and you must change or suffer a slow and terrible death.

Core Pains vs. Surface Pains

If you hired a sales expert, the first question they'd likely ask is, "Why now?" They like to get "surface pain responses," as they call them.

You must be thinking that your surface pains are: 

• ‘We missed our goals.’’ 
• "We're putting the crew together."
• "We have a group, but everyone is doing things their way."

That is not the answer they are looking for, nor should you.

Here are five reasons why hiring a sales expert might be a good idea.

When should you hire a sales consultant?

Now that you know what a sales consultant can do for your business, it’s time to tick boxes when you should finally reach out and hire one.

Here are five reasons that we collated for you:

1. Losing Ground to Competitors

Have you noticed any significant changes in your business, such as decreased sales, losing ground to the competition, investors withdrawing, or losing significant clients? 

If that's the case, it's time to start discussing the possibility of hiring a sales consultant. Their knowledge and abilities will assist you in devising unique tactics to resurrect your company.

2. Sales Forecasting Is Frequently Incorrect

Sales forecasting aids firms in predicting sales and revenue performance and implementing practical solutions. 

A sales expert will assist in developing a framework that will instruct sales representatives on how to anticipate sales accurately. They also define and assist in meeting a company's expectations.

3. Margins Are On a Down Trend

If you've noticed that your profit margins are shrinking or your sales volume is continuously decreasing, then hiring a sales expert would be a good idea. 

They will assist in identifying issues and developing strategies to address them. They will also help sales reps improve their sales cycles by implementing effective tactics for enhancing the company's sales margin.

4. The Sales Team Doesn't Know What To D

A sales cycle is one of the numerous components that make up a successful firm. It's not only a sales cycle, though. It needs to be concise and unambiguous, with all processes defined and in a logical order. 

For successful sales, your sales personnel should understand and follow these processes.

5. A Significant Number of Employees Are Quitting

Perhaps you're losing employees faster than you're making sales, or you're spending more time recruiting and hiring new employees than meeting the company's financial goals. These are all compelling reasons to hire a sales expert. 

Their presence in your company or business will undoubtedly have a good impact. They'll assist you in identifying and resolving the issues that are causing you to lose personnel.

How to Hire a B2B Sales Consultant

When hiring a sales expert, there are five crucial talents and attributes to look for. The following are some tips on how to hire a sales consultant:

1. Is the candidate aware of the value of your product?

A skilled sales consultant should know your company's product and value. 

To comprehend your sales process, they need to have knowledge and awareness of your company's origins, mission, and history. They can achieve this by volunteering to sit in on a sales pitch so that they can completely understand your sales strategies.

2. Is there a design or technique that the candidate possesses? 

A successful sales candidate should provide innovative strategies or suggestions to enhance your company's sales process. Adopt the methods to your specific requirements and expectations.

3. Can they tailor their services to your specific requirements? 

An ideal applicant for the sales consultant position will identify and root out areas where your organization may be underperforming and a solution to these issues. 

They should be dynamic and fluent in sales and marketing knowledge to identify and implement areas that require improvement.

4. Can you tell me about their track record? 

Do they have verifiable evidence of their services, such as customer testimonials or case studies from previous clients? 

Do they have any referees that can attest to their credibility?

5. Do they take a different strategy than the others?

A successful sales consultant should have a fresh approach, which may be achieved through researching and staying current with evolving sales trends. 

Like everyone else in your sales division, they should have a thorough understanding of your product and its worth. A good sales consultant should be wise and able to see things from multiple perspectives. 

They should also develop innovative techniques and strategies and put them to use in regions where they are needed. Furthermore, train sales representatives on how to use these approaches.

See For Yourself

B2B marketing isn't easy, but a B2B sales consultant can help you expand your company. 

They can assist you in figuring out which parts of your sales plan are missing if you're having difficulties getting new business or developing existing ones.

A good B2B consultant can help you and your salespeople on the right track to more regularly closing deals.

To help you navigate that path, a free checklist is available for you to download. This will answer all of your questions about taking the first step to outsourcing this service, giving you The Whens and Hows of Hiring a Sales Consultant.

Make sure you grab a copy of that! And, of course, AI bees prioritize delivering results. When you choose to work with us, you will have your own performance-based growth team. 

We provide B2B firms with proven sales and marketing solutions that outwit and outrun the competition. We thrive on providing dependable and consistent results for your company.

Let’s talk about your troubles and how we can help you reach your goals. Book a demo with us! 

You might also want to read:

• 10 Strategies A Lead Generation Consultant Should Offer
• Top SaaS Marketing Strategies to Steal in 2024
• The Complete B2B Sales Outsourcing Guide for 2024 [+ Checklist]
• Why Digital Marketing is Important for The Manufacturing Industry

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