Every year, new trends in sales emerge. This is due to the fact that there are always new ways for people to communicate and share information. Today, one of the biggest emerging trends is artificial intelligence (AI). It may seem like something out of a science fiction movie or novel, but it's actually here now! If you're not familiar with AI, then read on because it could be at the forefront of your business very soon.
If sales is something you're interested in, it's important to keep up with sales trends. What worked ten years ago probably won't work today!
Growth and Artificial Intelligence are two of the biggest sales trends that every sales professional should know about. Read on for more information on them and how to adopt them in your own business.
First of all, sales needs to focus on growth.
According to a 2018 research study from Accenture, sales professionals from companies of over 100 employees feel they are not meeting their company's revenue goals and cannot keep up with competitors due to lack of sales resources.
This is why sales organizations need to prioritize sales initiatives that will drive sales growth.
Investing in sales technology.
According to a 2018 study from Sales Benchmark Index, sales reps who had access to some type of sales enablement tool performed better than those without a sales productivity platform - they closed deals more quickly and won bigger deals !
This shows that investing in sales technology is a sales trend that will help your business grow.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another sales trend worth looking into. It can be used to increase sales productivity, improve sales forecasts and assign leads more efficiently - all things every sales professional wants!
According to Forbes, AI could double the size of the global workforce by creating 750 million jobs. This sales trend is definitely worth being on sales professionals' radars!
Investing in growth and using sales tools are just two ways that sales teams can increase productivity, improve sales forecasts and win bigger deals. AI is another big sales trend every company should be aware of - it will help your business grow exponentially !
A key to doing this is to spend time thinking about what’s coming in technology, regulations, demographics, and economics, and how this is affecting opportunities for sales now and in the future.
We identified many ways in which the sales world is changing, but the following are the trends I found particularly eye-catching in the context of driving sales growth today.
Investing in future growth- sales teams need to focus on sales initiatives that will drive sales growth.
The best sales leaders make trend analysis a formal part of the sales-planning process, and make forward planning part of someone’s job description.
This means they are perfectly poised to capture the opportunities created by sudden changes in the environment.
Sales growth- sales leaders need to focus on sales initiatives that will drive sales growth. The best sales leaders make trend analysis a formal part of the sales planning process and having forward planning as part of someone’s job description.
This means they are perfectly poised to capture opportunities created by sudden changes in the environment.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) sales trend- AI can be used to increase sales productivity, improve sales forecasts and assign leads more efficiently. This sales trend is definitely worth being on sales professionals' radars!
AI could double the size of workforce by creating 750 million jobs. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another sales trend worth looking into. It can be used to increase sales productivity, improve sales forecasts and assign leads more efficiently.
Sales reps are focusing more of their sales efforts on small market segments called micromarkets, which are made up of all the companies within a specific industry or geography. This sales trend is one way to find growth in new markets and make sales easier .
Capturing value from big data and advanced analytics- sales leaders should focus on sales initiatives that will enable them to capture value from big data and advanced analytics. This sales trend is one way sales teams can drive sales growth .
Outsourcing the sales function- sales teams should focus on sales initiatives that will enable them to capture value from big data and advanced analytics.
This sales trend is one way sales teams can drive sales growth .
Sales strategies are constantly evolving, so it's important for sales leaders not only to keep up with trends in the industry but also proactively adjust sales strategies to best serve their sales teams and customers. This sales trend is one way sales leaders can drive sales growth .
Sales teams should be familiar with the sales strategies that have been proven to produce results. This sales trend is one way sales leaders can drive sales growth .
You can't go back in time and pull the rug out from under your competitors by travelling to the future to find out what's going to be the next great thing in sales.
You may, however, do the next best thing: pay attention to today's biggest sales trends and exploit them to your advantage. Especially in light of the Covid-19 epidemic, which defied all expectations and continues to shift trends.
We've included the most recent information on social selling, AI's enabling role, Gen Z, and omnichannel strategy, among other topics.
You can utilize the information offered here to help you plan your next strategy or simply keep up with what's new in your profession.
Businesses frequently push bargains in front of customers' faces in order to increase sales. However, rather than gaining them business, such a strategy backfires.
This is a tendency that can be witnessed in the B2B industry, where most customers have grown tired of being treated like cash registers.
So, how do businesses persuade clients to buy without being excessively salesy?
This is something that value-based selling can help them attain. According to a survey, 87 percent of high-growth organisations use a value-based strategy.
In comparison, 45 percent of businesses are experiencing negative growth and do not have the same sales approach.
Because rather than hard-selling, they focused more on showing customers the benefits or value they can gain from using their products or services. They never failed to do this in every interaction.
Today's sales environment is tough and highly competitive, with sales professionals having to deal with a heavy workload and tight deadlines in addition to the existing challenges they face every day.
This makes it difficult for them to stay ahead of their rivals when it comes to making sales forecasts or keeping up-to-date on market trends that could give them a sales edge.
The sales intelligence that sales reps need to gain an upper hand is no longer available in the form of sales reports and dashboards alone, which can take hours or even days to produce.
To remain competitive, they have to be constantly updated about their prospects' activities on social media networks as well as through other channels.
What's the key to sales success today?
CX is not just an added feature but rather, it has become a vital part of sales activities in most businesses around the world.
All companies must place their attention on delivering exceptional customer experiences if they are to stay ahead of competitors and make more sales.
As 41 percent of sales professionals and sales leaders believe, CX has become a primary sales driver.
And by 2020, this number will hit 50 percent! What's more, 83 percent of companies are currently investing in improving their customer experience- which proves that it is an integral part of sales strategy today.
The future belongs to the organizations who follow these trends closely and invest in sales activities that will help them stay ahead of their competitors and grow exponentially.
The sales professional of the future will be an individual who is well versed with CRM and knows how to make it work for them.
By 2020, 77 percent businesses are expected to integrate sales platforms into their sales process while leveraging AI-driven insights that help in decision making.
This means that sales professionals need to invest time and energy into learning how to use these sales technologies if they want to succeed in the future.
Sales trends are constantly changing. What worked ten years ago probably won't work today. Here are some helpful sales trends to keep on your radar.
From investing in growth to adopting artificial intelligence, discover the biggest sales trends of 2018 and beyond here!
According to sales research, nearly 60 percent of sales professionals believe that millennial sales reps are more effective than the rest.
What's more, they also state that these individuals have better communication skills and learn faster as well.
However, what really makes millennials stand out is their tech-savviness. They lead other generations in terms of embracing new sales technologies and are well-versed with sales automation tools.
This is why companies hire millennial sales reps to make the most out of today's sales environment that requires more tech-driven sales strategies.
For instance, according to Cisco research , AI adoption by businesses will rise from 38 percent in 2018 to 73 percent by 2020 which means that sales professionals will have to learn how to use sales technologies in order to stay ahead of their competitors.
The future belongs to the organizations who follow these trends closely and invest in sales activities that will help them stay ahead of their competitors and grow exponentially.
Today's sales environment is tough and highly competitive, with sales professionals having to deal with a heavy workload and sales pipelines that may seem impossible to manage and grow.
The sales intelligence that sales reps need to gain an upper hand is no longer available in the form of sales reports and dashboards alone, which can take hours or even days to produce.
To remain competitive, they have to be constantly updated about their prospects' activities on social media networks as well as online sales platforms.
In sales, there are no 'off hours'. You need to be on the lookout for sales opportunities all day long.
To stay ahead of other sales professionals and make more sales, you should invest in a CRM solution that helps you automate your sales process and connect with customers through social media platforms as well.
This way, not only will you be able to engage with your prospects on multiple sales channels, but you can also get real-time updates about their activities and generate sales leads that will help grow your sales pipeline.
By 2020, sales professionals are expected to spend nearly 38 percent of their time communicating with prospects and customers.
With this much sales activity taking place on a daily basis, it can be challenging for sales reps to keep track of all interactions while managing their sales pipeline at the same time.
To remain competitive in today's sales environment, they have to invest in sales technologies that will automatically record these sales activities and give them the sales intelligence they need.
This means you should invest in a CRM solution to automate your sales process, connect with customers on social media platforms as well as leverage sales automation tools that can help you stay ahead of your competitors by growing your sales pipeline exponentially.
In sales, you have to deal with a lot of sales activities and sales processes.
However, as much as you want them to be successful, they can take up a significant amount of time that could be invested into other value-added tasks such as prospecting for new leads or closing more sales opportunities.
To remain competitive in today's highly-competitive sales environment, sales professionals have to look for ways on how they can improve sales efficiency and boost sales performance.
Customers comprehend sales friction when they inquire about a product they might wish to buy and are passed around between vendor agents until they become irritated, drop the call, and abandon the pursuit entirely.
Without even realizing it, the seller had just lost a sale and a prospective loyal customer, while the would-be buyer had made up his mind that this would be the last time he or she dealt with the vendor (HelloSign).
Inept salespeople are only one factor in the sales friction equation. Others include unpopular forms, unreasonable registration reminders during takeaway, and a lack of information about the goods or services.
Sales professionals have to adapt sales strategies according to their target market.
One of the most important trends that sales reps need to keep on their radar is how they can sell successfully to Generation Z (also known as Post-Millennials, iGeneration).
These are people born between 1995 and 2010 who make up 25 percent of the sales workforce.
They have a high level of digital fluency, which is why sales professionals have to integrate sales strategies with social media platforms and other online sales channels in order to achieve success when selling to them (Business Insider).
By investing in sales technologies that can help you automate your sales process as well as stay ahead of the competition by connecting with customers on social media platforms, sales professionals can gain an edge over their competitors.
