In a world where nearly half of all B2B buyers would prefer a rep-free buying experience, the timeless mantra of selling – “Always Be Closing” – is, well, not so timeless. The new ABCs of selling are “Always Be Credible,” says C. Lee Smith, CEO of SalesFuel, a sales intelligence and enablement firm. To get facetime with B2B purchase decision-makers, salespeople need to be viewed as trusted advisors. They can’t earn trust unless they are first perceived as having a high degree of credibility, Smith says.

A new sponsored Focus Report from SalesFuel and Sales & Marketing Management examines:

• How sales professionals can develop the sort of credibility that opens prospects’ doors
• Why building credibility starts before you even meet a prospect
• Research on what buyers want from sellers (It goes way beyond product knowledge)
• 6 tips for building a strong online presence

The report also features contributed articles from sales experts Anthony Iannarino on how today’s successful salespeople gain buyers’ confidence, and from Jeffrey Gitomer on the secret to getting all the referrals you could ever hope for.