Adapt Your Sales Force to Meet Current B2B Buyer Trends

Tip No. 1: Shift to a hybrid sales model

Software buyers are shifting to online research and decision making at increasing speeds due to COVID-19 and the resulting business disruptions. In fact, 80% of B2B sales interactions between a supplier and customer will occur in digital channels by 2025 (full research available to Gartner clients).

The key to increased sales performance is a digital-first, hybrid sales model that reaches buyers at the right time with the right message in the right channels.

A hybrid sales model caters to customers’ digital-first preferences, using omnichannel sales outreach to engage customers in digitally rich discovery and learning. Using these models, software providers can make the buying process easy for customers and share resources that build purchase confidence.

Moreover, sales outreach should lean into buyer preferences to give them a choice on how to interact with your team, whether through in-person, digital or blended channels. Adapt selling techniques to be buyer-oriented rather than product-oriented, and meet buyers where they are in the sales funnel with messaging and content that suits their informational needs.

Timing is likewise crucial to your sales team’s success in 2021 and beyond.

Since mid-March 2020, buyer traffic on the Gartner Digital Markets network of sites increased on weekends by as much as 60%. Take advantage of increased weekend web traffic and automate sales outreach to ensure buyers receive timely responses.

To build trust and confidence with a hybrid sales model, make sure your messaging supports the most pressing business priorities of technology buyers through content and interactions that show how your solutions drive change and produce tangible outcomes.

Tip No. 2: Train salespeople in digital skills

As buyers move to hybrid work environments and multiple digital channels to explore solutions and find product information, your sales team must have the skills, content and resources to reach them. Sales leaders should train their teams to sell through these digital channels and dynamically adapt to changes in the buying environment.

Two of the most important digital skills for a software-focused sales force in 2021 are social selling and content distribution.

Content distribution

Once you have a buyer’s attention, arm your sales team with messaging and content that can be used on various digital channels. That preparation allows your team to reach buyers with the right information exactly when they need it and when they are actively searching for software solutions.

High-quality, relevant content not only increases outbound sales effectiveness, but also differentiates your software product from competitors. It helps leads familiarize themselves with the brand and product, understand use cases and explore business problems where the software could be helpful.

Sales reps should also customize content using a combination of role and vertical insights from their account research. Personalization is an important part of reengagement outreach in a hybrid model, as it can double response rates, according to Gartner (full research available to Gartner clients).

Laura Higley

Laura Higley is a Senior Business Development Executive for Strategic Accounts at Gartner Digital Markets, where she leads sales operations for large enterprise customers. Laura is a New Jersey native who earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing management from Virginia Tech. Connect with Laura on LinkedIn.