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An ever-expanding sector driven by growth and new opportunities, the evolution of sales should be something that all sales teams keep a close eye on.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses have learned how to adapt to new challenges – each of which has contributed to the evolution of sales in recent years.
Despite all the changes to the sales industry in recent years, your business’s goal is probably the same as in previous years – grow, adapt and change.
Change, particularly industry-specific change, can but doesn’t have to be scary.
By embracing change and discovering new ways to propel your sales journey, you can get ahead of the curve and offer your customers a unique, detailed and quality service.
Here is AvA-V’s insight into the evolution of sales and some tips to help you secure the future of your salesforce.
Customer Experience Remains at the Forefront
Customer experience, satisfaction and communication remain some of the most crucial factors in the evolution of sales.
Providing your customers with a bespoke experience will make them more likely to do business with you.
To get to this point, you must utilise communication to its full potential.
Timely and consistent communication with prospective clients is vital in any successful sales process.
According to HubSpot’s 2022 Sales Strategy & Trends Report, a third of sales reps say they average 2-4 interactions with prospects in the sales process. 26% of reps report 5-7 interactions.
To help establish key touchpoints, consider setting reminders or automated emails and messages to alert your potential customers to the fact you’re trying to contact them.
It is also important to consider whom customers receive these messages from. If your customers are passed from person to person throughout the process, they may feel confused and disconnected from your business.
You can eliminate this feeling by having a dedicated point of contact for a client. This person may be a Sales Executive, Account Manager or Client Services Executive. As long as all communication with that customer comes from one person, your customer will be more likely to complete a purchase.
A smooth and easy-to-understand customer journey is essential for business success. Despite the evolution of sales and how much the landscape has changed, it is still essential to get the basics right.
A Generational Shift is Occurring
According to Deloitte, a reported 75% of the global workforce will be made up of Millennials by 2025.
With the rise of Millennials in the workplace, and Gen Z hot on their heels, sales teams must begin to adapt their approach for these new generations.
Having a welcoming approach to the new generations will aid your internal sales process and help you understand the next wave of managers, leaders and decision-makers you’ll be dealing with.
This generational shift is accompanied by a rise in digital-based sales. Whilst digital selling has been a prominent part of the sector for some time, having a generation of workers who are naturally more tech-savvy will go a long way to boosting performance in this area.
With this in mind, we can expect an increase in the use of technology and AI assistance in the workplace.
It should also be noted that Millennials work very differently from the outgoing Baby Boomers. Millennials are easily motivated by a workplace that pushes them to learn and expand their skill capacity. If you can implement this into your workforce, you will soon see a rise in results as more members of the new generations enter the workplace.
Buyers are More Informed than Ever
The way customers handle purchasing a product has changed drastically since the boom in the popularity of social media.
Before social media became second nature to the majority, the buyer journey was considered a very linear experience. With limited access to advertising platforms and fewer information outlets, the main source of product awareness came from large-scale adverts (TV/Newspaper) or from the salesperson.
This is no longer the case.
Mobile phones and easy access to the internet have provided customers with easy access to unlimited adverts. A large part of social media is targeted adverts.
What this means is that customers can directly search for a product or a company online, take an interest and make an informed decision on whether the product is right for them. A reported 90% of customers do online research before buying something.
This means that Sales Reps need to be flexible in their approach to selling.
Some customers will welcome an introduction to your business but there may be a handful who already know about you.
This is where you can discuss the uniqueness of your product and what makes you different compared to your competitors.
Don’t be intimidated if a customer already knows about you and instead use it to your advantage.
You can’t have a Sales Team Without the Team
Despite the uprise in automated AI systems, the most crucial part of your sales function remains the salesforce running it.
The relationships built between your sales team will drive business growth and ultimately decide how efficient your sales function is.
Engaging and rewarding your sales team is a must when envisioning the upscaling of your business.
Unnecessarily high staff turnover poses detrimental risks.
Not only will you need to replace your sales staff that leave, but you will also need to find and train their replacements. This will cost you time and money.
Offering incentives and introducing sales reward programmes are also great ways to ensure that your salesforce feels valued by everybody. These rewards don’t have to be expensive – something as simple as a lunch or round of drinks can boost morale.
Another great way to keep your sales team engaged is through progression. As we discussed earlier, Sales Training can go a long way to retaining staff and keeping morale high. Showing investment in your team is a great way to boost morale whilst also improving results,
Training in sales goes both ways. Demonstrating your leadership and management skills via Sales Management Training is a fantastic way to embed yourself within your team.
AvA-V offers various Sales Training and Leadership Training courses that will empower your salespeople.
The Evolution of Sales with AvA-V
As businesses forecast their growth, sales teams must evaluate their performance and adapt to the market around them.
No longer can you send a few emails and leave some voicemails and call it a day. Consistent communication is key to the success of your salesforce.
At AvA-V, we understand that sales change is frequent and the evolution of sales can appear daunting. Rather than worrying, embrace the change and welcome the opportunity to accelerate growth.
We practice what we preach, which is why we practice the above to help us navigate the evolution of sales.