Nurturing relationships is at the crux of business and sales, which focuses on maintaining strategic accounts in the long run. The McKinsey & Company report, ‘Future of B2B Sales: The Big Frame’ mentions that nowadays customers expect more. Thus, companies need to put them at the center of sales by enhancing channels, technology, talent, incentives and culture. 

A Few Pointers On How Sales Has Transformed And The Changing Role of Sales Team.

• A customer centric mindset:

Customers expect a more personalised and customised approach from companies. The McKinsey report mentions that companies need to adapt to the changing scenario since customers are ready to opt for another vendor if the core requirements are not available with the present vendor. The focus now has to be on guiding customers through their buying journey with a personalised approach. Today, the connect, communication and buying experience is vital to establish a long-term relationship with a seller. 

So, the sales team should be trained to deliver this customised communication. 

The report mentions the following 3 customer centric practices:

• Decoding data on customer intent preferences, and utilising analytics that provide insights, which should be able to further translate into impacts. 
• Impressing customers by offering personalised content that encompasses tailored made value propositions. 
• Sellers need to delight the customers by being always ready to consistently deliver experiences across the buying journeys. 

The journey that the buyer experiences should be highly personalised. At each stage the sales team should be ready to resolve the challenges and be available to discuss and share required information. 

• Technology driven sales approach:

Today, the customer supersedes the seller. Customers have access to all the information online about the different options available; the products/services and various companies. Customers have a reservoir of information and keep researching. 

Companies are also leveraging technology to predict their potential buyers, know their moves and pain points. Like it is often said ‘catch them young’, companies are proactively reaching out to customers before they can even think of reaching out to them. 

Which are the companies reaching out to the customers earliest?

They are the ones who extensively bank on analytics in a more productive manner. The McKinsey report substantiates this point with the following statistics:

Companies with strong customer analytics are 1.5 times more likely to grow fast, and increase earnings by 15-25%

Personalised content:

In the B2B sales arena reaching out to the right person / executive is crucial. Inspite of the fact that companies use analytics they end up offering a list of products to the buyers. But this one size fits all approach doesn’t render sales. Analytics should be further used to communicate with personalised content. Thus, reaching out to the decision maker at the right time with effective content. 

For the sales team to maintain strategic accounts its necessary to render a customised and personalised experience. A customer centric approach is vital in an age where technology is transforming the business world. Technology driven sales approach is the means to predict potential buyers, understand customer pain points and their moves. In a highly competitive and rapidly changing business environment agility is the key. 

Professa has led successful sales growth programs with global organisations with effective strategies. Get in touch with the Professa team to know more