Research by McKinsey on decision makers’ behaviour globally across industries since the crisis began reveals that the big digital shift is here to stay. The fact is that B2B buyers and sellers prefer the new digital reality with 70-80% stating that selling remotely or online is what they want. No more commuting great distances for meetings, multiple meetings requiring multiple journey’s, entire mornings or days spent attending one sales meeting.
B2B Customers are buying online
The real sign that digital sales has come of age is that B2B customers are making large purchases and reorders online. We used to believe that e-commerce was for low cost items but not anymore. 70% of B2B decision makers say they are open to making new and remote purchases in excess of $50k.
Two big marketing stars
Video and live chat.
With the massive shift to digital resulting from COVID-19, video and live chat have emerged as the predominant channels for interacting and closing sales with B2B customers.
What does this mean for your sales?
Fundamentally it means you have to move your sales process online because that is where your customers are buying now. Now you might be very tempted to think well that's fine because I have my website, I do meetings with my Zoom/ Google/ Teams and send people quotes so yeah, my sales process is online. However, there is a big whole in that process which is where you will lose your potential customers.
The Gap
While you can do your sales pitch and meet potential customers online, they always want to take time to consider their options, consider your proposal, convince themselves that you are the right company for them and they are making the right buying decision. So you need sales collateral and information that fills that gap from initial sales enquiry, to quote through to decision.
To help potential customers choose to buy from you should have:
- Expert guides
- Competitor comparisons
- Case studies and testimonials
- Details about your services and process
- Video demo
These will all help potential customers buy from you and it’ll set you apart from your competitors.
If you would like to talk to me about how you can make changes to your sales and marketing, book a strategy call with me. It only takes 15 minutes.
