During the COVID-19 world pandemic, the business world assumed that this was the biggest challenge they could ever possibly face. No one thought to put inflation, AI or political fluctuations on the map. However, in 2023, the sales trends are all about change, innovation and preparation for the unexpected.
Let’s face it – sales is a tough craft, the competition is always lurking and the industries are changing. The fact of the matter is that 48% of salespeople never attempt to close a sale during a sales call. Also, in 2023, still 68% of business leaders spend less than a day a month on strategizing. Thus, keeping up with the latest sales trends and developments is the only way to be knowledgeable enough to plan your steps carefully and close more deals.
In this article, we will share a few of the key sales trends of 2023 so you can monitor them closely and implement them in your future sales moves. Let’s dive in!
Social Selling
One of the main sales trends this year is social, or conversational, selling. Pushing your product directly at people’s faces no longer cuts it, as it is ineffective and customers have become more selective and critical.
To succeed in social selling, be active on social media to plant the idea of your product in your prospects’ minds without being annoying. To help you get organized and get your strategy right, we have combatted several tips.
Optimize Your Social Media Profiles
Your social media profiles are your digital business cards. Make sure they’re updated, professional, and align with your brand’s image. Include a clear description of what you do, your expertise, and how you can add value. Utilize relevant keywords to increase your visibility in search results.
Join Relevant LinkedIn Groups And Forums
LinkedIn groups and industry-specific forums are excellent platforms to connect with like-minded professionals and potential customers. Joining these groups allows you to participate in discussions, share your insights, and understand industry trends. This can help position you as an industry expert, expanding your reach and influence.
Use Social Listening Alerts
Social listening alerts like Google Alerts or HubSpot’s Social Media Management Software can keep you updated on mentions of your brand, competitors, or industry-specific keywords across social media. These alerts enable you to respond promptly, participate in relevant discussions, and gain insights into customer feedback and market trends. This proactive approach helps in staying ahead of the curve and making data-driven decisions.
Ask For Referrals
Referrals are a powerful method for gaining new customers. Don’t hesitate to ask satisfied customers to refer your business to others in their network. Leverage your social media connections to facilitate these referrals. Providing incentives or expressing your gratitude can further motivate your customers to bring in more potential clients.
Virtual Selling
More than 70% of B2B customers prefer virtual sales meetings over face-to-face interactions, which means if you are not, you are passing on great sales opportunities.
As one of the key selling trends of 2023, virtual selling underscores the importance of leveraging digital platforms for sales interactions. Adapting to this new sales reality requires mastery of several elements: robust digital infrastructure, skilful use of video conferencing tools, engaging virtual presentation skills, and the ability to build strong relationships online.
Here is what software you need to equip your team with to succeed in virtual selling:
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software. Tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zoho CRM are critical for managing customer data, tracking interactions, and overseeing the sales pipeline.
- Video Conferencing Software. Platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet are essential for conducting virtual meetings with clients.
- Screen Sharing and Presentation Software. Tools like Loom or Prezi can help with sharing screens or creating engaging presentations that can hold the attention of clients in a virtual environment.
- Social Selling Software. LinkedIn Sales Navigator, for example, can help find the right prospects, understand key insights about them, and engage them effectively.
- Email Marketing Software. Solutions like Mailchimp or Constant Contact can assist in sending targeted emails, tracking open and click-through rates, and managing email lists.
- Sales Automation Software. Tools such as Outreach or Salesloft can help automate repetitive tasks like sending follow-up emails, scheduling meetings, or updating the CRM.
- Collaboration and Project Management Software. Software like our very own SaaS BPM, Slack, Trello, or Asana can help sales teams coordinate their activities, manage tasks, and communicate effectively.
- Data Analytics Software. Tools like Tableau or Google Analytics can help analyze sales data, uncover insights, and make data-driven decisions.
- E-Signature Software. Platforms like DocuSign or Adobe Sign enable customers to sign contracts or agreements digitally, making the sales process faster and more convenient.
Customer Success
In 2023, the business world has evolved, placing customer success ahead of mere customer support. This pivotal shift focuses not just on solving your clients’ issues but proactively ensuring they achieve their desired outcomes with the product or service. Success is defined by enabling sales leads realize their full potential, driving growth and fostering long-term relationships.
Here are a few suggestions on how to prioritize customer success in your sales pitch, and after.
Increasing the Number of Demos and Walk-throughs
Increase the frequency and breadth of product demonstrations and walk-throughs. These can be conducted in various formats – live webinars, pre-recorded sessions, interactive online workshops, or one-on-one demos. The objective is to make customers familiar with every aspect of your product. Show them real use-case scenarios and how to solve them with your product. This will make it easier for customers to understand the full potential of your product, and how it can help them reach their goals.
To make these sessions more effective, customize them based on the needs and interests of different customer segments. Provide demos that cater to different levels of user expertise – beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Also, consider providing language-specific demos if you serve a global customer base.
Showing Customers Their Full Potential
Rather than simply explaining the product features, focus on how these features can help customers achieve their specific goals. Use data from customer usage patterns and feedback to show the impact of your product on their business outcomes.
To motivate customers to explore the full potential of your product, introduce elements of gamification, like awarding badges, points, or rewards for exploring new features or achieving certain milestones.
Enriching Communication Strategy with Assessment Calls
These are personalized calls to review customers’ use of your product. They can be an effective tool for identifying areas of improvement and for enhancing customer satisfaction. You can analyze their usage patterns, identify gaps, and provide customized recommendations for better utilization of your product.
To make these assessment calls more structured and effective, develop a checklist of points to review during each call. This could include: level of product usage, adoption of key features, customer satisfaction, challenges faced, feedback, and suggestions.
Assessment calls can also be a good opportunity to gather customer feedback for future product enhancements.
Suggesting Improvements
The insights gained from demos, walk-throughs, and assessment calls can be used to suggest improvements to customers. These suggestions can be based on both your product’s capabilities and customers’ needs.
When suggesting improvements, provide clear, step-by-step instructions on how to implement these suggestions. Where possible, offer assistance in implementing the suggestions. Also, set up a follow-up call or communication to check on the progress and address any challenges the customers might be facing.
Wrapping Up
Selling trends are always evolving and if you don’t stay on top of them, you risk losing out on a lot of potential sales. So, make sure you get familiar with social selling, virtual meetings, and placing customer success over customer support to ensure you make the most of 2023.