Member Article

What you need to know about selling to HR contacts

Based on the latest UK people professions update released by the CIPD, the HR profession has grown by 42% in the past decade (from 2011 to 2021).

Comparatively, only 10% of the general workforce experienced such growth.

In this sense, any human resource department is an excellent prospect for your product, but only if you thoroughly understand the industry first.

Often, small businesses don’t pay close attention to the needs of the decision maker they are selling to and why they are selling to them.

People are constantly exposed to sales talk and hard sell tactics in Human Resources. Marketing tricks usually used to entice prospects won’t work on them.

In order to sell, you must do it correctly.

Get a sense of their pain points

The HR manager’s main responsibilities are:

• hiring and talent management,
• performance management,
• increasing employee engagement,
• boosting employee relations,
• promoting company culture, and
• reducing employee turnover.

The HR team is also responsible for practical HR processes such as payroll. For companies selling HR software, for example, the solutions they offer could take the form of automation tools.

However HR tech implementation requires executive buy-in, which is usually a big hurdle, especially in organisations with steep hierarchies.

Furthermore, switching platforms or vendors for that matter can be very time-consuming & costly if they already have a tool in place.

With help from an expert, you can find the information you need, directly from the HR department, through telephone surveys, in-person market research, online research and analysis of trends and data.

Use this to create effective marketing campaigns.

Make sure you sell solutions, not features

Traditional selling focuses on communicating the value of a company’s products and services, then closing a deal.

A solution-based sales approach involves creating products that solve specific customer problems. Once these problems are identified, the business simply shows how it solves them.

You can best determine what problems your products solve for your HR employees by asking them, as described above.

The goal of solution-based selling is to listen to HR staff before presenting them with your product’s unique features. Knowing your clients’ problems will give you an insight into how your product meets their needs, and you can adapt your sales pitch accordingly. Don’t focus on the features of your product, but on how it solves problems.

Assist HR in selling

It is important to remember that HR departments might use your product, but they are not typically those who purchase it. You must help them present your idea to those responsible for approving the purchase order.

Give them data, evidence, and real-life examples to support their argument that your solution will make their operations more efficient.

Think of it as using your pitch to prepare them to make a pitch of their own. It’s about having a real conversation in which both parties benefit.

An individual approach

A buyer’s perspective is everything. In addition to demands, expectations, and outcomes, HR professionals must manage increased responsibilities and stress.

A consultative seller conducts thorough research and includes the HR professional throughout the process. Collaboration is key.

Every sale, buying stage and conversation should be individualised to meet the unique needs of each HR person. There are 10,068 HR contacts within UK companies in More Than Words’ HR contacts database. Essentially, it allows small and medium sized businesses to find and reach the human resource leaders with budgets and authority to make buying decisions.

In order to maximise the value of a marketing database, we recommend using it in four ways:

1. Email Marketing

Using B2B email marketing campaigns allows you to summarise your offer and grab attention quickly.

2. Telemarketing

By combining B2B telemarketing and marketing emails, you can create a stronger connection with your prospects.

3. Webinars

Let HR professionals know about your offer via teleconference or webinar. Building a rapport with HR managers is a great way to find out their pain points.

4. Put your own PR to use

Include your own testimonials, case studies or impartial reviews in your emails and direct mail messages. By doing this, you can show potential clients what companies you have previously worked with and what you have done for them.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by More Than Words Marketing .