There used to be something to be said for tenacity. Remember the good old days when all you had to do to sell your product/service was get in the customer’s face and refuse to back off until the sale was made? Sure, you closed the deal but as soon as that customer was out of range, you never saw him again and your ears would burn as he described the various body parts of yours that he would like to kick.
Then the Internet came along and potential customers could avoid you all together by checking out company websites and choosing who to spend their money with. This caused the focus of sales to shift from “in your face or else” to building a relationship that revolves around a customer’s future needs as well as the current purchase potential. Enter Sales 2.0—you know, like Web 2.0, which nobody understood until it was effectively old news.
Today, the most effective sales teams have a Sales 2.0 approach which uses available technology and the Internet to lead the customer to the purchase without pissing him off by getting in his face till he caves.
What Does Sales 2.0 Do?
Sales 2.0 uses the tools available on the Internet to streamline your sales processes. Historically, marketing and sales were in the same house, although not in the same room, let alone in the same bed. Sales 2.0 has changed all that and now the sales and marketing team work closely together to envelope the customer in a virtual hug and make him feel warm and fuzzy enough to bring you all his business. Customers want control over how and when they make their purchases. They are able to access information on the Internet that educates and informs them about every product or service out there.
So, how do you use this to your benefit? You fill in the gaps by providing the most informative, educational and relevant information possible to them through technology. Blogging, videos and whitepapers are examples of how you reach them. This process allows potential customers to not only become informed about what you do, but in many cases “self-qualify”. In doing this, you are building a relationship with your customers by aligning yourself with their identified needs. Much in the way you get a child to eat the right foods by only offering nutritious choices, you offer information to customers that guide them to choosing you.
Tools
There are many tools out there to boost your Sales 2.0 abilities, including:
You can save time, fuel and money by engaging in web conferencing through software such as Gotomeeting.com. With programs like InfoUSA and Hoovers providing valuable information about industry trends and statistics, you have everything you need at your fingertips to improve your sales performance.
By using technology to better connect with your potential customers, you are meeting them where they are comfortable, which keeps them from wanting to kick your body parts. Through the use of prospecting tools such as Zoominfo, Jigsaw and others, you get a steady supply of possibilities. Add LinkedIn and Facebook profiles to the mix and you have become “one” with countless potential customers out there.
Differences between Sales 2.0 and In-Your-Face Sales
Anyone who tells you sales hasn’t changed is dreaming. Where once you sold hard, now you nurture. Where before you pushed, now you pull. Where you once scored, you now deliver, using thought leadership, client-centered services and content marketing to shorten your sales cycles.
- The Sales 2.0 approach gently guides your prospects through the entire purchase process that is founded in their needs and the timing.
- Sales and marketing work together, sharing information with each other instead of everybody guarding what they have as if it were the secret to everlasting youth.
- The old quarterly rolling out of new ideas or products is replaced with regularly scheduled podcasts, emails and videos that keep the sales team up-to-date and informed immediately. This gives your sales people a competitive lead.
- Prospects not ready to purchase are offered continued support and education through customer advisory message boards, educational videos and downloadable whitepapers.
Simply put, Sales 2.0 encourages customers to become part of your sales team by engaging in interactive education. Through customer advisory message boards, webinars and other Internet activities, the customer feels that you and he are ready to work together to get him what he needs. The process improves your sales performance because it allows you to reach many prospects at the same time and gently lead them to the “check-out” counter together.
Is your organization ready for Sales 2.0?
