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The goal of every sales rep, sales manager and sales team is to be able to shorten the sales cycle, increase the average sales price, and increase the closing rate in order to achieve higher quota attainment and more productivity for each rep. Now, for the first time in history, it is possible for sales organizations to have all the tools and strategies assembled in one place to unify and coordinate the efforts of the entire organization. Sales reps, marketing teams, subject matter experts, customer support staff β all using one customer interface β can now finally deliver maximum power, productivity and profitability to the sales process. What is the source of this revolutionary new sales paradigm? It flows across the Internet to millions of potential customers around the world, and it is referred to by many as Sales 2.0.
The Marriage of Strategy and Technology
For generations, selling has been about the salesman and the sales organization, which controlled the flow of information and products to potential customers by identifying markets and potential customers and then trying to convince customers to buy what the sales rep had for sale. Then along came the Internet. At first, the Internet was simply a digital brochure; companies would post product info and contact numbers and wait for customers to call. However, with the advent of online communities like eBay, Yahoo, Wikipedia, blogs, and even interactive online gaming experiences like World of Warcraft, people began to figure out that the Internet was actually a version of the real world, within the REAL world. Not only have people gotten comfortable buying, selling and communicating on line, they are now beginning to demand online sales experiences that are every bit as interactive β even more so β than face to face transactions.
Also, because of the astonishing depth of information available online β all coming at almost the speed of light β customers now control the flow of information. They can shop and compare productsβ everything from cars to computers to chemicals β from the comfort of their home or office, so that when they are ready to buy they often know as much or more than the sales rep. The old days of the sales rep pushing products on the customer are gone forever.
This new technology demands that sales organizations adopt a new strategy. From here on out, success will be based on responsiveness; flexibility; fully aligned sales, marketing and customer care services conducted primarily on line, and β above allβ a sensitivity to the customers needs and the ability to customize products and services to give the customer what he wants rather than what you happen to have in stock.
There are a wide variety of companies and software solutions to help you put the framework together to deliver a sophisticated Sales 2.0 experience, but ultimately you need one more component.
How will you accomplish the marriage of skills and tools in the Sales 2.0 world?
Without a doubt, Sales 2.0 opens up a brave new β and potentially very lucrative β world for sales organizations that are primed and prepared to take advantage of all the new opportunities, strategies and technologies that are literally coming online every day. However, there is one other vital component that must be added to this volatile mix in order to blow the doors off of the competition. These new tools and strategies will get you to the right prospect faster and more accurately than ever before. However, once you are in front of that highly qualified and motivated prospect, will you have the necessary planning, relationship, communication, presentation and negotiation skills to close the deal to your best advantage?
In a highly competitive environment where everyone in the market has access to the same information and the same tools, and where competitors are selling essentially the same products, the company whose reps are highly skilled at building relationships with prospects and navigating the interactive side of the sales and negotiation process will have a clear and commanding edge. Do you know how to ask the right questions when you interact with the prospect, in order to uncover those key needs that will trigger their decision to buy? Do you know how to deliver a powerful and compelling presentation β over the phone, face to face, or even online -- that will project the credibility and value your prospect needs in order to pick your company out of the crowd? What is the skill level of your team when it comes to thoroughly preparing for and executing a negotiation process so that they can respond successfully to any contingency and secure an agreement without leaving money on the table?
The list could go on, but the message should be clear: Sales 2.0 is the most powerful paradigm ever developed for rapidly delivering qualified and motivated prospects right to your door and enabling you to engage them more efficiently than ever before. But once you have them engaged, you must still have the skills to close the deal.
For 30 years, Baker Communications has delivered exceptional skill training to the worldβs leading sales organizations. It is no accident that half of the Fortune 500 companies are our customers; the skills they learn from our workshops deliver proven results for them day in and day out, year after year.
Donβt miss out on the unprecedented opportunities that can be yours in the Sales 2.0 world. Baker Communications is uniquely positioned to help you put all the pieces together so that you not will not only meet but exceed your goals and expectations this year.
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March Sales Quick Tip of the Month β Get a Crash Course in Sales 2.0
Join us this spring at one of our exciting Selling in the Eye of the Storm Showcases, where effective Sales 2.0 strategies will be one of the main topics of discussion. We will be appearing in:
Charlotte, North Carolina March 5th, 2008
New York City, New York March 25th, 2008
Boston, Massachusetts April 16th, 2008
Los Angeles, California Apri
