Every small business would one day like to become a keen B2B client provider. They would like to go for servicing just customers to help out those that work in a professional capacity as well. B2B is therefore a key part of how small businesses operate and aspire to work. It’s vital that a small business owner that may only have 10 or so employees is always seeking to gain a foothold in their industry and provide their products or services to well-known brands. This way, their name among the industry and sector become better respected and thus, more clients will want to work with you. For example, a few Spanish wool merchants refined their skill and eventually, worked with the British brand Burberry. Suddenly, new Spanish wool became used by other brands like Barbour and Hugo Boss. it’s now known as Merino wool!
How do you find them?
Well actually, they usually find you! Yes, a small business doesn’t have to go searching for a B2B client if they make the best products and services among their peers. However, it’s good to have a reach-out strategy that can help you to find the top clients that you can manage at any one time. This is how you go about it.
- You scour the industry that you operate in and then, list the names of brands that you’d be interested in. ask yourself, would they like your brand values, would they find your product useful, would they be willing to pay the prices you ask for?
- Contact these brands one by one, via email, phone, and or network meeting. It’s quite normal for small businesses to contact larger brands so don’t hesitate or be embarrassed. Some small business owners think they seem desperate by doing this and that if they were good enough the clients they’re contacting would know them anyway. Do not beat yourself up like this.
- Respond to their messages and start a conversation. Equally, as a business owner, you could text or call a manager or director in the brand you’re interested in working with.
Tugging the line
Okay so you caught a little fishy. They are tugging on the line and they seem interested. What do you do now? Well you need to be ready to do two things. One, make an elevator pitch. Maybe they only have 5 minutes to talk with you. They don’t care to look at your pamphlet or reports or presentations, they just want to get to know you a little and see what you’re about. Two, make a proper presentation. This is the better but harder option. You will be needing to put your best foot forward and usually, that is a marketing or sales team blend that can present your ideas, services, products and brand values/culture in the best light.
Let them see
You know, sometimes B2B clients will already know what you are all about why? Well they have probably been scouring the industry seeing who they could order their raw materials from, or order some unique design work, or work with for a marketing campaign, etc. they have done their own search and they know exactly who they think they would like to work with. If this occurs, that doesn’t mean that you have got the deal done. You will need to show them how you work, your HQ office and let them see how your products or services are built and or created from the ground up.
Initial order
Many times when you begin a new relationship, it starts off with a small order. This will be just to test the waters and adjust to the new product or services. So make sure that your invoice is smooth, simple and easily adjusted to the work that is being ordered. Use this invoice template service that has over 12,000 votes and a whopping 4.7-star rating! Thousands of licenses have used this service to create their own unique invoice and allow the client to easily see what they are being billed for. It will also let them know that you are easy to work with. Your invoices are easy to follow, simple and you don’t need to spend time wrangling over details.
Working with B2B clients is exciting but it can also be very demanding. If you have your wits about you, you will prepare both a short pitch and a full presentation so when the time comes, your clients will be impressed.
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