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Sales automation for niche B2B companies

This article will guide you through the fundamentals of sales automation building and the essential tools you need.

Teemu Tervo avatar
Written by Teemu Tervo
Updated over a year ago

Content

Salesperson + Automation is a winning combination !

Sales automation and automated lead generation are becoming more common in B2B sales. Software tools are getting better and easier to use, meaning tasks like creating a prospect list and reaching out to customers, which used to be done by salespeople, can now be automated.

Automation is a modern sales tool

By using automation, a B2B sales expert even in a niche field can boost their productivity by up to 100%. However, if automation is done poorly, it becomes a waste of time and effort. In such cases, there's a loss of potential sales due to the opportunity cost involved.

To automate sales efforts effectively, we often need multiple tools. Individual tools can be useful, but combining them gives better results. This gives salespeople time to focus on the most important things, closing, while automation helps open and nurture new discussions.

Myths and Facts about B2B sales automation and lead generation


Basics of creating B2B sales automation

Sales automation in B2B is about using software to handle simple sales tasks while using human brain power to tackle the bigger questions. So automation doesn't replace all salespeople but changes the way the work is done.

Automations help with sending emails and DM's, maintaining outreach consistency, initiating discussions, documenting meetings, and enriching prospect lists.
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Sales fundamentals don't change

Fundamentals remain the same. Sales is all about:

  1. ❀️ Creating trust

  2. πŸ’Ž Offering value

To do this, you have to be relevant and trustworthy. This is 100% possible while using automation, but at the same time, not creating trust is the biggest pitfall that 95% of B2B sales automation falls.


The Limitations of Conventional Sales Automation in B2B

Sales automation in B2B is different from typical lead generation automation for consumers or at least what people think of them. Even though many tasks and repetitive actions can be automated, the human impact on success is still huge.

The messages in sales automation need to be powerful and resonate with the customer. The authority of the sender is as important as the message! So messaging and the sender should be local, and trustworthy.

🚫🚫🚫 This is how NOT to do sales automation in B2B 🚫🚫🚫

Common pitfalls in B2B sales automations

VOLUME WON'T SAVE BAD MESSAGING!

β€œWith English automation, we can target the entire world. Someone will buy!”
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The answer is NO. πŸ™… 0% conversion is going to be 0 conversion even with a higher volume!
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The truth is, when we increase sales volume, we also increase everything else – like the number of mistakes, pointless queries, misleading data, and unnecessary tasks. Often, this growth hack becomes so costly that it stops making sense.


This leads to a misconclusion:

"Customers are not interested, this market ain't working.” 😣

We talk about this in our newsletter, which covers the challenges of international growth. Maybe you want to check it out and subscribe!
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This is the RIGHT WAY to do sales automation in B2B βœ…

Maximize sales efficiency with this checklist for seamless sales automation

The best sales automation is multichannel, localized, with native language, and rich with interesting content. The target group is hand-picked and there is a clear common nominator of interest. The first step is to spark interest and be relevant.

Automation to build and nurture relationships 🀱

Conversion in sales happens either through emails or phone calls. Our goal with using automation is to build relationships, not to harm our reputation by spamming especially when going abroad. Professional relationships are built and leads are warmed for nurturing campaigns in the future.

β€œWith this kind of automation, we've seen great results in achieving long-term sales traction, not just in booking a single meeting.”


Marketing technology is evolving fast

People often overlook how quickly technology changes. New tech can offer temporary advantages, but soon enough, the big mass is using it as well. This might seem like a small issue, but in reality, companies should aim to develop a long-lasting sales process that uses automation effectively and consistently.

True efficiency in automation comes from 3 things:

Using the most recent high-end technology is not necessary. The true efficiency in B2B sales automation comes from:

  1. Precise targeting (LIST)

  2. Ability to create trust (COPY+SENDER)

  3. Multichannel high-quality outreach (AUTOMATION SEQUENCES)

While the latest tech tricks can sometimes give a surprising boost in the short term, they aren't a solid foundation to build on. Start with the tools you have at hand and create simple automation in the beginning.

There are an overwhelming amount of SaaS tools 😩


Choosing the right tool for your marketing can seem overwhelming in such a vast landscape.

In reality, it's not as difficult as it appears. Once you understand your business type – be it consumer-focused, web store, B2B, or something else – you can significantly narrow down your options and start with the basics. Often, the first steps in automation are taken using well-known platforms like HubSpot, which can get you 90% of the way there. And for many businesses, that's sufficient.

Tools you can check out yourself! πŸ› οΈ

There is no reason to overcomplicate things. At the end of the day, it's all about effectively communicating your unique value to a correct target audience.

No need to be the early-adaptor-tech-wizard πŸ§™:


Results to Expect from Good Sales Automation

How well automation works depends on a few things:

  • Who you're targeting (Contact list)

  • What you're offering (Value proposition)

  • How you talk about it (Copy text)

  • Your automation plan (Multichannel sequences)

Here are some results you can look for to see if your automation is doing its job or if you need to try something different:

Expected results:

  • 20-40% of people should respond

  • 10-20% should show interest

  • 5-10% turn into actual sales (within a year)

It's only possible to reach these numbers if:

  1. Your messages fit the local language and culture

  2. You use multiple ways to reach out (like email, social media, etc.)

  3. You've carefully chosen who to target

  4. Your messages are clear and make sense

This is an extreme example of how you can have good results with an extremely niche B2B target group. Sometimes it's not about volume, it's about quality multichannel messaging.


The Power of Local Sales Agents in Automation

Europe's market is fragmented. Across each border is a new market, with its own local culture and language. Localized content makes conversions better and people are willing to pay more for the services. Localized content increases the amount of organic traffic to the website and lowers CAC (Customer acquisition cost) by up to 25%

Expanding in Europe? Read our blog post "Consider this before expanding your B2B sales in Europe"

Can't read, won't buy


Research indicates that attempting to sell in a second language will have a significant impact on your conversions. 40% of customers are not willing to buy in English. 73% want localized product reviews.


Nordic decision-makers speak English well but are very careful when making business decisions in a foreign language. This becomes even more of an issue in group decisions, where there's a higher chance someone might not feel completely comfortable.

Get the best B2B sales results with local salesperson + automation !

By localizing your sales efforts you can:


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