The traditional sales model of many product companies involves complex, time-consuming processes. These processes involve a significant amount of research, cold calling and networking, and the development of long-term relationships with customers. This approach is often difficult to sustain and difficult to scale.
Digital selling, however, has revolutionized the sales process. It has made it simpler, faster, and more effective by leveraging the power of technology, analytics, and social media. Digital selling involves leveraging digital platforms and tools to create an efficient and effective sales process. It allows for more targeted engagement with customers, better understanding of customer needs, and the ability to personalize offerings and create more meaningful customer relationships.
The four main distinguishing characteristics of digital selling are automation, analytics, collaboration, and personalization. Automation allows companies to streamline processes and save time that would otherwise be spent on manual tasks. Analytics allow for the tracking and analysis of customer data to gain insights into customer behavior, preferences, and needs. Collaboration enables sales and marketing teams to work together more effectively to create better customer experiences. Finally, personalization allows for the customization of the sales process to better meet the needs of each customer.
Overall, digital selling has the potential to help companies increase sales, build customer loyalty, and drive revenue. By leveraging the power of technology, analytics, and collaboration, companies can create a more efficient and effective sales process. The result is a more personalized customer experience that can lead to long-term relationships and sustained growth.
Selling Old School
The traditional sales model was plagued with inefficiencies due to its one-directional nature, where marketing passed on campaigns and leads without validating their accuracy and sales teams had to do their own, labor-intensive prospecting and lead nurturing. This lack of collaboration between marketing and sales and the ineffectiveness of the process meant that messaging and content were not tailored to the individual needs of customers or sales reps. As a result, it was difficult for sales reps to build and nurture customer relationships without the proper tools or insight into customer behavior and develop an effective sales approach. According to a Salesforce study, high-value messages and high-quality content are key drivers of winning deals, but the one-way street from marketing to sales hindered the ability to achieve this.
Digital Selling Comes of Age
Sales and marketing teams are now utilizing digital technology to more efficiently interact with consumers, collect customer-oriented data, and simplify the buying process for today’s more demanding buyers. Social selling tools, social media sites, predictive analytics, and other big data solutions are all helping to power this new and flexible approach to selling in the digital world.
Social Selling Is at Its Core
Marketing through social networks is a key component for businesses that want their brand and campaigns to remain relevant. Statistics show that salespeople who use social media as part of their sales processes are more successful than those who don’t; 72 percent of those who used social selling outperformed their peers and exceeded their quota 23 percent more often. Social media is an important tool for reaching new customers, as it provides them with constant updates on new product features, industry trends, and other information they need to make an informed buying decision. Additionally, it allows customers to quickly review any details of a product before they consider purchasing it, which leads to a faster introduction to the sales cycle and a quicker path to closing a deal. Ultimately, increased interaction on social media helps to expedite the interaction, nurturing, and decision-making process.
It Connects Marketing and Sales
Digital selling requires a more collaborative approach between marketing and sales teams when compared to traditional selling models. By leveraging the power of social media, sales teams are able to better connect with potential customers and engage in meaningful conversations. For example, over 84 percent of social sellers use LinkedIn to build relationships and almost 50 percent use Twitter. This allows marketers to quickly learn what content resonates most with customers and prospects, and provide feedback in close to real-time.
It’s Engaging and Gives Prospects What They Want
With the influence of social media, it is much easier to build a connection with customers on a larger scale than ever before. Sales teams now have the ability to stay in direct contact with prospects and customers, and share various types of product or thought-leadership content. They are able to do personalized marketing on a large scale and track the success of their efforts in real-time. Buyers tend to have done 57% of the research on their own before sales professionals even make contact with them. They look into reviews, pitches, and opinions on the internet and social media to get an idea about what they want before even talking to a digital seller.
It’s Data-driven
Data is essential in the modern marketing landscape, providing valuable insights into consumer behavior. By using predictive analytics and data science, marketing and sales teams can identify and target their desired customers more effectively. With the help of these tools, companies can gain a better understanding of their customers and create relevant content for them. This data-driven approach to marketing enables teams to craft more tailored experiences that are sure to resonate with the target audience.
Digital selling has become increasingly important in recent years, thanks to the integration of social media into the sales process. By leveraging social platforms, sales teams can interact directly with customers and showcase their products and services. Additionally, data-driven tools can be used to optimize sales productivity and facilitate better communication between marketing and sales teams. Digital selling also allows companies to gain a better understanding of their customers, enabling them to create more personalized experiences that will lead to higher conversions.