The last year has been a wild ride. Amid the disruption and chaos that was 2020, opportunity for sales organizations emerged. We know that sales will never be the same, but what if the world suddenly changes overnight (again)? This time sales won’t be blindsided, here are the top lessons we are taking away.
Selling is personal
When it comes down to it, people buy from other people. And, today the sales process is more personal than ever before. Previously, you spoke to a prospect from your office and your home and family were nowhere to be found. Now, you invite prospects into your home during the sales process. And, vice-versa, your prospects welcome you into their homes that they share with their dog, children or spouse. More authentic and engaging conversations and interactions occur in these personal settings. When not purchasing in-app, buyers now expect a sales experience that occurs in your home.
The right technology matters
Sales teams must be able to sell from anywhere and technology is the backbone of being able to sell from anywhere. Sales teams need technology to accelerate the sales cycle and build relationships. Combining video and live-chat help sales reps create engagement and a human touch with their contacts. Prospects expect the ability to digitally sign documents in seconds from anywhere and on any device. Sales enablement, contract management software and eSignatures are the triple crown you need to build relationships with prospects and accelerate the sales cycle.
Sales enablement takes the spotlight
Providing your sales team with the knowledge, content, and training to effectively sell your product is essential to growing your business. Imagine the impact if your sales reps had the exact resources any buyer needed in order to close a sale at any moment.
According to Gartner “CSO Priorities Heading Into 2021” the most prioritized initiative for sales leaders in 2021 is to accelerate early pipeline and lead generation efforts. Valuable content that will genuinely help solve your prospects and customers problems will accelerate lead generation and early pipeline, but will also increase engagement and close rate. With a defined feedback loop between marketing and sales, valuable content can quickly be created and delivered throughout each phase of the buyer’s journey. Together, marketing and sales create more valuable content.
Your sales reps already have a lot going on, but they must be prepared for any situation. To increase your sales team’s effectiveness, you need to increase their knowledge, skills, and confidence. Ongoing sales training is no longer a luxury and can not be taken for granted. Utilize software to relay processes and general information, and then support and coach using human interactions. Encourage peer-to-peer and manager-to-peer collaboration and learning. During these times of constant change, the relevant and engaging training the rep received this morning will be used by the end of the day.
If the world suddenly changes overnight, sales will be ready. We won’t be blindsided (again). We learned that we can excel from disruption to opportunity. Sales team must have the right technology for a personal sell from anywhere. If teams are not equipped with enablement tools, important engagement activities such as building relationships, discovering solutions and closing deals go by the wayside.
Check out our latest Sales Engagement Guide.
