The current economic recession has brought about a drastic change in today’s consumer buying behaviors. With limited funds and often tight budgets, B2B buying has become more complex than ever before. The complicated way in which consumers make buying decisions is also becoming the norm for business professionals looking to make a purchase. After all every business professional is a consumer. These acts often include constantly comparing prices and researching countless options and reviews of products and services.

Because of this shift in buying processes, it is important that sales representatives ask themselves this essential question, ‘What value do I bring to this process?’ This is the first action step that needs to take place in order to determine what sites their target markets are visiting, and where they are getting their information. Positioning yourself as a thought leader and offering useful information on blogs and comment boards is the first step to creating value for your consumer. This of course should be done without expecting anything in return, at least initially.

The next important step is taking time to do your due diligence. Finding out what is happening in your industry, both on a micro and macro level, is necessary when learning how to deal with objections and positioning yourself as a source of knowledge. This step can be achieved by engaging in the same online research as your customers, asking smart questions and making every point of contact count.

Finally, it is important to understand that there has been a shift in a consumer’s expectations as well. Sales representatives are no longer just required to have basic knowledge in their particular field; they are also required to be a master of ALL things related to that business at that very moment. With fewer and fewer in person meetings taking place, it is vital that sales reps know how to connect with a potential client and in a valuable way, when and where the customer desires. This may mean expanding to new channels, implementing mobile sales software so reps can sell from their smartphones or tablets, or another creative tactic, but the most important thing is really know your offering and your customer.