If your sales model does not serve more than 10 channels — your organization risks slow growth and even buyer loss.
Today’s buyers have higher expectations than ever before. They want to be served with personalization and convenient access to numerous resources all along their buyer journey. They expect to have equal options across mode of delivery too. Especially after the 2020 disruptions, omnichannel selling is not a “bonus” but an expectation.
In fact, in a recent McKinsey report, respondents preferred equal access to traditional in-person selling, remote forms of selling and self-service buying. Remote does not outweigh in-person. In-person does not rank better than self-service. For buyers, they want to choose how they buy and they want numerous options for buying at every stage of their journey.
Offering more channels to your buyers does not only serve their needs better — this enhanced sales model impacts your bottom line. In that same report, McKinsey found that 72% of B2B companies selling with seven-plus channels grew faster than those with fewer.
What channels should your selling company invest in then? How can your teams make the most of these channels? And what roles do your salespeople and your marketing teams serve in this buyer-empowered sales model? We at Mereo have the answers.
SEEK TO SERVE™ ACROSS ALL CHANNELS
First, meet your buyers where they are. Having more channels is not entirely the point. Your organization must offer channels that your buyers already use and prefer. These channels must be focused and targeted. Once you have these insights to back-up your omnichannel efforts, your team will be able to connect with and serve buyers with seamless selling across the channels your buyers prefer.
Align messaging and buyer experience across every channel. Your buyers expect a consistent experience and message across every channel, no matter the delivery mode. As such, be sure all your buyer-facing teams are aligned around the same value messaging and selling framework. And keep your teams and departments collaborating and talking often for best results.
Even if the channel is not face-to-face, you must keep sales personal and relevant. B2B buyers have been moving closer and closer to consumer-level expectations for the last decade now. In this vein, even among these multiple channels, buyers still expect a high level of personalization and relevance when they engage your organization. The more channels do not stand alone in contributing to growth. The more tailored your selling organization can make your buyer’s experience, the more growth sellers will experience as well.
Do not discount in-person engagements — or self-service / e-commerce selling potential — either. Remember, buyers have shown an equal preference for all modes of buying along their journey: traditional, remote and self-service. Many (68%) buyers still view in-person meetings as a sign of a highly-valued relationship. On the flip side, buyers are more willing to make big purchases through virtual or digital means today too. That same McKinsey report found that 20% of buyers were willing to spend between $500,000 and $5 million in a digital or remote transaction! Thus, treat all your channels — those viewed as both legacy channels and new, innovative ones — with equal attention and care.
BECOME A TRUSTED ADVISOR IN OMNICHANNEL SELLING
Where does the “Rule of Thirds” leave your salespeople and marketing teams? Hybrid selling roles are rising in prominence, and those omnichannel selling skills will serve selling organizations well.
Now more than ever, too, your salesforce needs to step-up to the role of trusted advisor. They need an expert-level understanding of your buyer, their needs and their preferences. And with this intel, your salesforce can serve as a trusted guide toward the right channels for that particular buyer at the right stage of their journey.
To help your selling professionals embrace the trusted advisor role across all channels, look to the Complete Sales Organization Guide to Seek to Serve, Not to Sell® eBook.