Selling Without a Salesperson

It is important to realize the game has changed. The modern buyer does not need a salesperson to make a purchase; this is a massive shift in the way buyers buy.

However, businesses need to account for this change in their selling; they must evolve their efforts accordingly or risk being left behind and overshadowed by competitors. 

If you think your business is immune to this, think about companies such as Amazon and how they have disrupted the retail industry. From clothing to grocery stores--now available without cashiers or check-out processes—they have continued to change the game.

The Future of Sales

Regarding artificial intelligence and machine learning, analysts predict within three years, an abundance of marginal people in the sales profession are going to be forced out. There will not be room for glorified order-takers and explainers.

Eventually, all content and context will be completed for you. It is imperative to begin discussing how your company will survive and thrive in the upcoming years.

A Lesson from Marketing

Marketing, in general, has evolved to better connect with the modern buyer.

Many marketers today follow The Inbound Methodology-- deemed 10x more effective for lead conversion than traditional marketing. The question is: Is there a way to take the lessons learned from inbound marketing to apply them to the sales process?

Take a look at the following startling facts from HubSpot:

• The average sales/business development representative makes 52 phone calls a day.
• It takes 18 dials to connect with a single buyer.
• Call-back rates are anemic, with less than 1% of prospects calling back.
• Leads responded to within 5 minutes are 100x more likely to be qualified.
• You are 4.2x more likely to get an appointment if you have a personal connection with a buyer

These facts all address context and timing. You need to have the right tools, content, and strategy to be able to pounce on this. 

How is your sales team staying relevant in the modern buyer’s journey? Is your company discussing how sales will evolve in the future? Let us know in the Comments below. 

To learn more about staying relevant in the modern buyer's journey,  enroll now in our free 7-day eCourse: Go-to-Market Strategy 101 for B2B SaaS Startups and Scaleups.