Digital Communication with a Human Touch

Through the digital transformation of print production, business owners have created value for their customers faster turnaround, special effects, personalization, and shorter runs. Can the digital transformation of the sales process also create value in terms of growth? It’s possible.

Gartner research suggests that “The future of sales will see a permanent transformation in strategy, processes, and resource allocation.” According to their report on “The Future of Sales,” the sales organization will move from being seller-centric to buyer-centric and become hyper automated, with digital-first engagement with customers.

Gartner predicts by 2025, 80% of B2B sales interactions between suppliers and buyers will occur in digital channels. As this happens, 60% of sales organizations will transition from intuition- and experience-based selling to data-driven selling. Sales organizations will use artificial intelligence (AI) to detect buyer-readiness signals so salespeople don’t have to rely on their instincts or the methods used for successful transactions in years past.

CSOs (Chief Sales Officers) will become leaders or selling rather than leaders of salespeople. They will adapt to help customers make complex buying decisions wherever they are.

Successful experiments with virtual sales during the pandemic accelerated the adoption of sales strategies that combine multiple channels of remote and in-person communications. .

Customer preferences are also driving the transition. Gartner research shows that 33% of all buyers desire a seller-free sales experience.

McKinsey studies found that two-thirds of customers prefer remote interactions or digital self-service in all phases of the sales process, including identifying and evaluating new suppliers, ordering, and reordering.

What It Means

Omnichannel messaging. Eight in 10 B2B leaders said omnichannel messaging is a more successful way to prospect and secure new business than traditional “face-to-face only” methods.

Hybrid salespeople. Forward-thinking companies are hiring “hybrid” salespeople: people who can comfortably interact well with customers via video, phone, apps, and also the occasional in-person visits. A 2021 McKinsey survey showed that 28% of B2B sales organizations already have hybrid sales roles.

Artificial Intelligence. Companies are using artificial intelligence (AI) to automate and augment the sales process. AI technologies analyze large datasets to gather insights to make decisions, predictions, or recommendations. Machine learning is a type of AI that identifies patterns in the data that can be used to make predictions. These predictions automatically get better over time as more data is gathered and analyzed.

AI won’t replace the need for salespeople. But it will help salespeople be more effective in qualifying leads and closing sales.

For example, sales organizations can use sophisticated AI to predict which prospects are more likely to close. AI can also recommend which sales actions to take next with each account, forecast results, and optimize pricing.

A 2020 Salesforce study of 6,000 sales professionals found that 57% of the highest performing sales organizations had adopted AI. The top ways AI was being used include:

  • Understanding customer needs
  • Forecasting
  • Visibility into rep activity
  • Competitive intelligence
  • Lead prioritization
  • Making better use of reps’ time
  • Personalization for customers

McKinsey analysts have estimated that AI can create $1.4 to $2.6 trillion of value in marketing and sales.

Why Dealmakers Should Care

When your organization looks for good companies to acquire, it’s always important to determine if the company’s leaders are prepared for digital transformation.

If a company has already begun to automate their production and business workflows, they may have already begun to streamline marketing and sales as well.

The newest versions of Print MIS and ERP systems incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning. Some interact seamlessly with customer-relationship management systems, marketing automation programs, and web-to-print portals to improve efficiencies in outreach and online ordering.

Together, these programs will make it easier for print business owners to gather and analyze the data needed to improve the performance of their sales teams.

As an old-school sales guy myself, I think “data-driven” sales is a radical departure from the way many experienced sales pros got started in the business. Some salespeople may need some training in analytics and sales automation, while younger salespeople are probably already at ease with artificial intelligence.

Like the digital transformation of print, the digitization of sales processes will be an ongoing evolution. It won’t happen overnight. Person-to-person information sharing and trust-building will still be essential. The Salesforce survey noted that building trust is even more crucial in an era in which customers and prospects have fewer resources and question long-held assumptions.

But if data-driven sales processes can help salespeople avoid wasting time on cold calls and getting rejections from annoyed, uninterested prospects, I’m all for it.

RESOURCES
Gartner: Sales Transformation: The Future of Sales
McKinsey: Omnichannel in B2B Sales:The new normal in a year that has been anything but
Salesforce: State of Sales Report