Engage, Execute, and Retain
I2S recommends management lead the company into "Outcome-based Value Selling." Meaning - STOP TRANSACTION SELLING - START EDUCATING.
Fading 'features and functions' selling is shifting sales teams to get onboard with the Buyer-Centric modelling. As one example, TSIA predicted that 80% of new technology spend will sit with the "business buyers" no longer a transactional purchase where past customer engagement teams have been interacting with IT and procurement departments. These buyers do not want to talk about product features and functions, they want to engage with partners and individuals who can explain how their proposed solution will lean into achieving specific business outcomes – is the client's purchasing priority.
Brands are focused on improving digital customer experiences to grow revenue and increase profits. Unfortunately, many struggle turning customer insights into results-oriented experiences that deliver a mutual value exchange. Successful sales reps use challenger selling and customer insights to define customer experience and lead the client with tactical information that will help them monetize their efforts and programs.
Brands are also more likely to engage if those brands can cater to their buyer preferences, regardless of location or device.
Buyers expect their favorite brands to recognize them on all devices and deliver special offers, recommendations and content based on their visits. Personalized content has gone from being a nice touch to a must have. A survey by Marketo found that 78.6% of visitors said they were ‘most-likely’ to engage with offers that were tied to their interactions with that brand. While personalization is not a new idea, it is still something many brands are working to master. More than 50% of marketers cited personalization as their top priority.
Prospects are not Prey predator vs. prey mentality prevents meaningful engagement, it creates bad feelings on both sides, when, what buyers really want is for us to help them learn and grow. However, they want to set the direction and the pace. Are we really listening better to the signals that are available to us and use them more thoughtfully?
Roger Treese