he sales industry is very competitive and requires a different set of skills compared to other industries. Every year, thousands of people enter the sales industry only to find out that it's not for them. Read this blog post to know about the modern sales pros!
"When the industrial revolution started the average selling cycle was five years. Then, with mass production and mass distribution, it went down to two or three years. Mass media shortened it to about six months. Now in the age of information technology and globalization, it's estimated that customers will start doing research eighteen months before they buy. " - Jay Levinson
Modern sales pros understand how to use sales technologies not just for data collection and lead qualification, but also for collaboration and engagement with customers and prospects throughout the entire sales process.
This includes social networks such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook; marketing automation systems such as Marketo; tools like Google Docs and Skype; web conferencing solutions including GoToMeeting, WebEx, and Adobe Connect; smartphone applications such as SurveyMonkey; CRM systems including Salesforce.com or Oracle SugarCRM; document sharing platforms including Dropbox or Box.net; online video platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and UStream.tv; virtual office solutions hosted by companies like Teleplace, Tervela, and SiBeHeS; revenue management software for forecasting, pipeline planning, and opportunity management.
Modern sales pros are also always connected to their networks of people who work together in an ongoing cycle of activity that is frequently automated with best practices embedded within it.
This enables more time spent on thinking about the next step -- not just data entry into the CRM system -- which leads to higher conversion rates, greater pipeline development, and the ability to sense changes in customer needs in real-time.
They understand how to use social networks such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook for lead generation and setting up customer meetings.
We have seen a huge growth in social media which enables everyone the opportunity to connect with their friends, colleagues, or family members. The SME market has been using this technology since it was first introduced by companies like IBM and Cisco Systems in the early 2000s, but now B2B companies are also catching on board by incorporating it into their marketing plans.
Social media platforms enable organizations to increase brand awareness because they provide an alternative method of reaching out to customers who may not be aware of their products or services without much investment from the company.
In addition, modern sales pros know how to use social media platforms to increase lead generation and make it easier for leads or potential customers to contact them.
"Selling has always been defined as the art of persuasion. But in today's marketing world, persuading someone who wants nothing to do with you is a complete waste of time and money." - Sean Burke
Modern B2B selling is about creating relationships that last for years and using technology not just to collect data and close deals faster, but also to engage customers throughout the entire buying process.
With its emphasis on leveraging social networks like LinkedIn and building relationships over financial transactions, modern B2B selling can be viewed as a new model for engaging customers and prospects during each step of their buying process.
This means less focus on hard closing techniques such as 3Ds (Direct, Dazzle, and Deceive) used by traditional sales professionals. Instead, modern sales pros engage with customers early on through social media platforms which helps to shorten the buying cycle by providing valuable insights about their customers' pain points at an early stage in the buying process.
Understanding how prospects buy has always been one of the primary goals of sales professionals. Today, however, this fundamental axiom has taken on new dimensions as more companies are developing strategies for engaging buyers throughout the entire buying process.
This means that marketers need to know everything possible about their buyers before they initiate contact with them.
This means understanding their pain points and how to address them before they even ask for your help before they have become a lead. It also means knowing which social media networks your prospects use so you can engage them early on with relevant content that speaks to their interests and needs.
Modern sales pros know that visualizing their entire sales process -- from initial prospecting activities through closing deals -- helps them be more efficient because it enables them to streamline their activities and prioritize what needs to be done first.
This means using technology to customize their sales process with real-time emails, alerts, and calendar notifications that will ensure each step of the process is completed successfully. It also involves executing everything promptly so they can maximize opportunities within an appropriate time frame.
This is where modern selling sets itself apart from traditional selling techniques because it's based on understanding how buyers' purchase behaviour has evolved and incorporating this knowledge into your strategies for engaging potential customers.
modern sales pros know that there's no point in executing a well-thought-out strategy if it doesn't give you access to information about your success rates at each step along the way. They make sure they have the tools needed to measure and track their performance and take advantage of business analytics to identify which strategies are working and which aren't.
Once they have a clearer picture of where they currently stand, modern sales professionals know it's time to think strategically about how they can improve their outcomes moving forward. This might mean adjusting their approach, as well as the messaging used when speaking with customers at different stages throughout the process.
Modern selling comes down to an ongoing dialogue between you and your customers. While this may not come as a surprise, many sales professionals still fail to make this a reality because conversations don't happen automatically – there has to be a conscious effort on both sides.
It means knowing how to engage modern B2B buyers in a meaningful way, even after they have become customers. This means staying connected with your clients at all stages of the lifecycle and not just during their decision-making process.
While it's true that there are many different types of people involved in the buying decisions for large-scale purchases made within organizations, successful sales professionals know that modern B2B success starts with engaging the right people.
It sounds simple but is often easier said than done because each person has their own unique set of responsibilities to consider before pulling the trigger on a purchase.
The good news is this doesn't mean you can't simplify things by creating an effective messaging strategy for each member of your team who may be directly or indirectly responsible for influencing or making your sale.
Creating Outcomes for Sales Enablement
Modern sales professionals know how important it is to prepare both their organization and their teams for success by maintaining a focused approach well before they start driving revenue. They also realize that effective sales enablement isn't something you do once but rather an ongoing process that should take place every time they switch gears from one stage to another within the buying cycle.
The key here is to ensure that the right talent, tools, budgeting models are all in place long before you need to put them into action. This allows sales professionals to focus on creating business outcomes instead of worrying about how these things will be put into practice later down the road.
While modern sales professionals can rely on their existing skills to sell, they must also learn new techniques that equip them with the tools necessary to engage modern B2B buyers effectively.
These include using technology for more than just automating outreach but rather staying connected throughout the entire buying cycle and more importantly, making sure you are accessible at all times of day or night.
This is especially important when it comes to social selling, which also happens to be one of the best ways you can drive revenue in today's world because your prospects want to receive information faster than ever before.
Social media has given them access to information about companies like yours as well as brands similar to theirs that may already be customers – this makes it virtually impossible for them to ignore your company or its products.
The ability to sell yourself (through social selling) is another important skill that marks the difference between average and average professionals, especially in today's highly competitive B2B landscape. This means looking beyond referrals and "warm calls" by showing at every opportunity why your services are better than those offered by other providers on the marketplace.
Modern sales professionals know that to be successful in today's world, they need the right tools and a great team behind them.
While having the best technology at their disposal is important, modern sales professionals know that their long-term success will ultimately depend on developing deep industry expertise and building relationships with customers.
This means understanding how their products or services can make a difference for potential customers and working hard to communicate those benefits to prospects at every stage of the buying process.
But it all starts with assembling a high-quality team capable of making a valuable contribution from day one. The ability to attract top talent has been one of the differentiating factors between successful organizations and those that have remained stagnant over time.
Modern sales professionals understand this fundamental difference and do everything possible to build long-lasting relationships with team members. They know that is the only way they will be able to retain top talent within their organizations in today's highly competitive marketplace.
Many sales professionals are still relying on old tactics when it comes to driving revenue. This includes using outdated techniques for engaging customers at every step of the buying cycle, not measuring their success, or having a clearly defined strategy in place.
Quite simply, this approach doesn't work anymore because buyers are more aware than ever before about how their industry operates these days. They can effortlessly use technology and social media networks to find out what others think about the solutions by different companies and often consider this information when making purchasing decisions.
As a result, sales professionals need to be more familiar than ever before with how their company can provide solutions that meet their customers' needs to reach the next stage of the buying process. They also need to understand what goes into an effective modern B2B sales strategy and identify any areas where they are currently falling short.
This allows them to improve their processes for engaging buyers moving forward.
Modern sales professionals have a greater sense of adaptability than their traditional counterparts. Unlike those who operate in a relatively static world, they realize that things are constantly changing – and fast – these days.
This means the only way they can help their company remain competitive is by embracing change and continuously striving to improve themselves as well as their processes for engaging buyers.
1. Good at social selling
Whether you consider yourself a social selling enthusiast or are more of a skeptic, there's no denying that this trend is here to stay.
Social selling doesn't mean the same thing to everyone and while some sales professionals use it as an opportunity to engage followers on popular networks like Twitter and LinkedIn, others prefer focusing their efforts on less conventional channels like Reddit or niche communities within Facebook groups.
Regardless of which approach you to prefer, modern B2B sales professionals realize that engaging buyers in today's world has evolved beyond sending out cold emails asking for information about their business. Those who fail to adapt quickly will get left behind because customers can access pricing, product comparisons, and reviews at the touch of a button these days.
2. Good Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is a must-have for sales leaders in today's highly competitive marketplace. They have to have a good handle on their emotions and how to deal with the feelings of others in order not to push customers away when a product or service isn't right for them.
While they don't need to be warm, fuzzy, and approachable all the time, they do need to understand what it takes to engage potential buyers from start to finish.
3. Good at analyzing data
Modern sales professionals need excellent communication skills but they also need advanced analytical skills as well these days if they want to turn information into actionable insights that can then be used by marketing teams in particular.
This makes them invaluable when it comes to creating content for use across social networks, blogging sites, and business-to-business publications.
4. Higher sense of adaptability
Sales professionals must realize that adopting an adaptive mindset isn't optional these days if they are interested in being successful in B2B sales. The only way they will succeed is if they are willing to try new approaches to engaging buyers or adapting their existing processes for approaching, qualifying, and closing customers.
5. A relationship builder
Likewise, those involved in modern B2B sales must be relationship builders as well as deal makers if they want to help the company achieve its goals every year.
Sales professionals who focus on building relationships with those higher up within an organization will always make more money than those who don't because it helps open doors and that makes it easier to land revenue-generating opportunities like large orders and cross-selling or upselling offers.
6. Can process development
This is a trait that also reinforces the importance of both listening and analyzing data but many people overlook this important aspect of modern B2B sales. The process of identifying customer needs, collecting data for use in creating strategies, and then testing these strategies to ensure they are successful is vital if sales professionals want to improve their close rates over time.
7. They must be great listeners
We've covered this topic before but it's worth mentioning again because good listening skills play a major role in the success of modern B2B sales professionals. From cold calling prospects to interacting with existing customers, those who don't listen carefully will struggle to build relationships or close deals successfully.
This can take many forms including reading body language cues like facial expressions and gestures like finger-pointing as well as noticing patterns within what people say (e.g., choice of words).
The Sales professionals of today are not the same ones that came before them. They need new skill sets and different tools to be successful in their work.
The modern sales professional is adept at social selling, has great analytical skills, an open mind, excellent listening skills and they can adapt processes to suit their company's needs. These traits will ensure success if followed by Sales professionals as they continue to engage buyers throughout the sales cycle
