Sales and marketing in 2014 is all about adapting to the ‘new buyer.’ Consumers now have access to more information than ever, mainly through search and new marketing channels such as social media. As a company it’s vital that you’re visible in these locations if you don’t want to lose valuable business.
Take a look at the growth Facebook has seen in 10 years. In 2004 the now huge social network had only 1 million users. In 2014, it has grown to over 1 billion. In addition to this a recent Pew study found that 72% of all internet users visited social media sites. Add to this the fact that Google received 25,000,000 searches an hour in 2013 and you can start to appreciate just how important sales V3 and optimised search engine marketing is.
Simply put, sales V3 is a new sales concept geared towards the digital age. Sales V3 clearly outlines how any businesses sales strategy can adapt to sell to the new generation of internet savvy and information rich buyers. It not only covers how the new buyer can take advantage of the wealth of information available to them but also how businesses can do the same.
To fully understand sales V3 you need to look at it from both the customers’ and salespersons’ perspective. Below we analyse the changes in both, and how they can be used to your advantage. Above all else it is important to remember that sales V3 processes can be utilised by a company of any size. If used correctly they can really level the playing field between massive corporations and SMEs.
Sales V3 Digital Marketing for the Customer
People are now buying almost anything online, from toothbrushes to multi-million pound yachts. This means there is an online demand for your product or service, whatever it may be.
For a buyer in 2014 the typical sales journey will often incorporate a Google search, frequently very near to the start. From here they can go on a voyage that could lead them to a multitude of different information sources that provide them with highly specific insight into what they are looking for. Once they have done their research they will pursue suppliers who appear to match their practical and emotional requirements. Examples of just a few of the information sources they could use include Google, Yahoo, Bing, TripAdvisor, Facebook, Twitter, Forums, Google+ etc.
The wealth of information available means that up to 70% of the buying decision is made before a buyer even contacts a member of your company’s sales team! Sales V3 and optimised internet marketing helps you be as visible as possible before, during and after potential clients have made a buying decision.
How to Nurture Your Clients
It used to be believed that buyers would say no five times before saying yes. Truth is, that number is now probably much closer to eight or twelve!
This means you have to be present at every stage as they move through their own personal buying cycle. This is why it’s important to have a strong online presence, in search, social and on your own website.
Here are a few actionable tips for you to carry out to ensure a stronger online presence:
• Keep your social media accounts updated with useful information, presented in a friendly and helpful tone
• Use email marketing to touch base with potential clients and keep you at the front of their mind
• Host webinars where you share insider knowledge and expertise
• Ensure you rank highly in search results for keywords relevant to your business and products
• Use ‘temperature check’ phone calls, sparingly, to touch base with clients and keep you at the front of their mind
Sales V3 Digital Marketing for Salespeople
Sales used to be about extolling the benefits of products and services before embracing solution selling, identifying a customer’s problem and then informing them how your product or service solved it.
The new challenge in 2014 is the fact that around 70% of the time your client has already analysed their issue and worked out that your product can solve it for them. So if you don’t have to ‘sell’ your product anymore what do you have to do?
Sales V3 is all about standing out through original, creative ideas to reach your client before the formal sales process begins. The best arena for this is online and the best tool for achieving online success is digital marketing.
The salesperson needs to adjust to these new tactics too. They should be analytical and deeply knowledgeable about what they are trying to sell, both inwardly and outwardly. They should also be able to think outside old sales processes to build relationships with, and present solutions to, their clients.
Sales V3 doesn’t just provide potential clients with more information than ever. Salespeople also benefit from far superior customer insight. The same websites and arenas that allow customers to research and gain insight into businesses also allow sales teams to gather a plethora of information about those same customers.
Using free tracking tools such as Google Analytics and Facebook Insights allows you to create incredibly in-depth customer profiles that include gender, age, likes, dislikes, location and much much more. Used correctly these analytics platforms can become an integral part of any lead generation process. Part of sales V3 is ensuring your sales team understand how to use these information sources to arm themselves appropriately and get the greatest return on their sales activity.
This transformation in sales roles from being largely interpersonal to data-based and technology-driven allows the salesperson to:
• Identify potential customers
• Focus sales resources where they could be best used
• Pre-emptively reach potential customers at different moments in their personal buying cycles
• Add value
• Communicate with customers
• Prioritise and focus on ‘hotter’ leads, improving efficiency
• Spot buying signals and anticipate needs and serve as experts (rather than just negotiators) in their field
• Research targets and markets
This doesn’t mean you should abandon usual sales channels but instead incorporate them into a much wider picture.
How We Can Help You Achieve Your Sales V3 Dreams
Put simply then, sales V3 is a new wave that you should be riding. Thankfully we can help you do just that. With a proven track record and multitude of ecstatic existing customers our digital marketing plans will ensure your business can be found online where and when it needs to be. Everything we do is focused on achieving a great ROI for your business, the more money you make the happier we are.
If you’re ready to embrace sales V3 why not give one of our experienced digital marketing consultants a call on 01252 622722 or drop us an email to [email protected], we always love hearing from new people!
Check out the other posts in our sales V3 trilogy here.
