173 | MARTIN HURYCH | HOW TO SPOT AND DEAL WITH 7 B2B BUSINESS MISTAKES

Do you remember the last time you were really satisfied with the speed and quality of your B2B order closing? Or do you feel more like you're struggling with endless meetings, lack of feedback and the process dragging on forever? It may surprise you to learn that you're putting up many of these invisible barriers yourself. And in this episode of Ignition, I'm going to show you how to tear them down.

No more futile guesses as to what the customer might be missing. No more groping to differentiate yourself from the competition. No more inefficient business process management and nervous waiting to hear from the client. Today, we'll look at the 7 most common B2B sales mistakes that are holding you back from orders, and how to fix them immediately.

What will we discuss in the episode?

🔸 How to turn chaos into clear and measurable direction in your business strategy 🔸 How to truly understand your customer's needs instead of making assumptions 🔸 How to communicate value so your client not only understands it, but also recognizes it

🔸 How to get out of price wars by differentiating yourself from the competition 🔸 How to effectively manage the buying process, keep track and pace 🔸 How not to forget about a solid follow-up that gets the job done

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HOW TO SPOT AND DEAL WITH 7 B2B MISTAKES

In the competitive world of B2B markets, it is no longer enough to have a good product or a well-trained sales team. The customer is more sophisticated, more informed and more sensitive to every hesitation. Sales cycles are getting longer, predicting results is increasingly difficult and business owners or directors are often stumped as to where exactly that invisible hitch is occurring. If you feel like your engagements are taking longer than they should, or clients are dropping off during the process, chances are you've hit one of the common mistakes.

In the following article, I summarize 7 key transgressions that most often hinder the business growth of B2B companies. For each of them, I also offer practical tips on how to eliminate them. The result can be not only faster deal closure and more stable predictable results, but more importantly, a stronger and sustainable competitive advantage.

1. Unclear and unpredictable business strategy

Business chaos reigns in many companies. The owner comes back from networking, spontaneously assigns tasks, reverses priorities, and the marketing and sales team flounder. Instead of consistently working with the target audience, they jump from one "hot" contact to the next.

How to fix it:

• Define a clear direction: who is your ideal customer (avatars, segments)?

• Set measurable goals: how much do you want to sell in a quarter, a month, a week?

• Limit ad hoc activities: fewer clearly targeted campaigns rather than random shots in the dark.

2. Lack of understanding of customer needs

Too often we assume what the customer needs instead of asking. The result is an offer that doesn't match the client's real pain points. The client doubts our professionalism and often loses interest.

How to fix it:

• Stop guessing, start asking questions: Open-ended questions help you tap into customer priorities.

• Think holistically: use a tool like the "buyer utility map" and try to understand what the customer is concerned about before, during and after the purchase.

• Update your insights: customer priorities are driven by the market and the times. Regular review of data and feedback is a must.

3. Poor communication of value

Instead of clear value, we often present the customer with technical parameters and complex tables. The result is confusion, doubt and a prolonged decision-making process. After all, selling is not about showing off your own know-how, it's about actually helping the customer.

How to fix it:

• Personalise the message: each stakeholder has different priorities. The CTO appreciates ease of implementation, the CFO is looking for savings, and the operations manager wants quiet nights without unexpected outages.

• Soften the numbers with human language: Explain what the parameters mean in practice. E.g. "Our solution will save you 2 hours a day" is stronger than "the software will reduce the process by 10%".

• Build on values: show what the change will bring to specific people in their daily work.

  
  

4. Ignoring the client's buying and decision-making process

Holding on to the only contact in the company and relying on him to make the decision is naive. B2B purchasing is influenced by 5 to 12 people, from users to buyers to executives. Ignorance of the decision matrix prolongs the deal and increases the risk of failure.

How to fix it:

• Map the decision-making structure: use project management methods such as the RACI matrix to identify who makes decisions, who consults and who just needs to be informed.

• Connect with key players: You don't need to bypass purchasing, but you also need to talk to technical experts, future users, operations managers or the finance department.

Adapt the argument to the person's role.

5. Inefficient business process management

A common pain point for companies is the lack of a unified CRM or comprehensive processes. Each salesperson goes his own way, data is fragmented. The result is lack of transparency and the inability to measure and improve performance.

How to fix it:

• Implement CRM: It doesn't matter if it's Pipedrive, Raynet, HubSpot or shared Excel, as long as there is one point of truth.

• Define the phases of the deal: Each phase must have clearly defined deliverables. This is the only way to measure conversion.

Track KPIs: activity (contacts, leads), offers and final result. Identify bottlenecks and focus on improvement.

6. Underestimating the competition

Ignoring the competition leads to offering the same thing as everyone else. Then the only criterion the customer can compare is price. You end up in a price war that destroys margins and prevents long-term growth.

How to fix it:

• Perform a competitive analysis: Find out what is standard in the market and look for gaps.

• Compare the value curves: Tools from the "Blue Ocean Strategy" help you discover where competitors are investing and what customers really value.

• Look for a unique promise: Don't overdo it on parameters, offer a solution that actually solves a real customer problem.

7. Weak follow-up

Many promising opportunities end up at the "Send me and I'll get back to you" stage. Some companies just passively wait after sending an offer. This is an approach that not infrequently means falling into a black hole of forgotten deals.

How to fix it:

• Be proactive: set a clear communication scenario after the offer is sent. Arrange a follow-up meeting or phone call, provide a reference case, materials that will really move the client's decision.

• Maintain the relationship: the customer needs to see that you care. Regular but unobtrusive contact increases the chances of business success.

• Be patient and prepared: B2B deals are marathons, not sprints. Persistent and professional care can make the difference in your favour.

The road to faster and more sustainable business

Success in B2B business is not just about know-how and trust. It requires an understanding of the customer, a smooth strategy, strong value communication, precise process management and a good knowledge of the playing field. Those who can fine-tune these elements and eliminate the seven mistakes mentioned above gain a valuable advantage.

Remember the simple motto: Understand, enthuse, sell fast.

• You'll understand: The customer and their priorities.

• You'll be thrilled: By offering and communicating value.

• You'll sell fast: Because well-targeted and managed sales processes shorten the path to the desired signature.

In turbulent and competitive times, it is this ability that can be the key to your business rising out of the ranks and taking control of its market destiny.

(translated by DeepL.com, edited and shortened)