Even before the start of the pandemic, consumers around the world had been rapidly changing how they made buying decisions. This shift received a turbo boost in the first half of 2020 and consumers have since become accustomed to the new way of doing things.
Online shopping has become ubiquitous and many physical retailers have suffered from a decline in foot traffic. While a return to the pre-pandemic ways is the best hope for retailers who have stuck with a traditional approach, those who have successfully adapted and weathered the uncertainty aren’t waiting for everything to go back to the way it was – they’re carrying on. Some have even found a better way of doing things. Here’s a look at the top five ways that sales managers can achieve that.
1. Polish the sales experience
At the start of the pandemic, sales operations managers had to devise holistic work-from-home policies to mitigate the impact on sales operations. Digital training often had to become a priority since selling can look quite different in a digital environment, requiring a different set of skills. But if done right, remote and hybrid sales and support teams can be more effective than ever – something Gartner has found to be especially true of the B2B space.
Digital sales present endless opportunities to add value by helping customers choose the right products or services for their needs, discover related products, and have their support queries addressed. We can help your business make the most of it, with long-term sustainability.
2. Use sales to identify new customer needs
While many consumers are feeling the pinch, there are still opportunities to be found. The pandemic has led to huge lifestyle changes which have created new consumer needs. To identify them, you need to turn to the insights in your sales – look at what your customers are asking for and what your competition is offering them, then apply those findings to your business strategy. The right digital partner could help identify opportunities for your business to pursue, based on a strategy that accounts for the shift in customer behaviour and their newfound priorities.
3. Enable active collaboration between teams
With the right tools and processes in place, collaboration can be more efficient than ever. Silos that may have existed as physical boundaries in the past – like separate floors in a building – can be left in the past. This offers innumerable benefits, like making it easier to involve product experts at the early stages of customer journey development, something which can lead to a better customer experience and support your sales efforts.
Facilitating constant communication is especially important to ensure that your marketing team’s efforts are firmly aligned with your sales efforts – something else we can help your business achieve.
4. Introduce the right technology
Technology can support your sales team with the automation of more tedious processes, freeing them up to focus on their sales efforts. Sales software and customer relationship management (CRM) software are powerful tools, but don’t overlook the likes of email automation software and lead prioritisation engines.
A word of caution: be sure not to overload sales teams with too many tools, as this can lead to the opposite of streamlined efficiency. Not every tool is worth having but we can help you determine which ones will bring the most value to your business.
5. Stay agile and embrace innovation
Sales processes need to be agile and continually evolve to keep up with market changes, new technologies, and changes in your own product offering. There should be an ongoing process to optimise the effectiveness of your sales team, and strategic innovations can keep you ahead of the competition. With us, you gain a partner that can help guide and implement those innovations.
The right tools and processes can help pull your sales operations through challenging times. League has these tools. Our Sales Enablement solution applies intuitive technology and software to equip your sales team with more accurate information to use at touchpoints throughout the customer journey.
