In the new normal, it has become a necessity for sales representatives to have superior skills.
Customers have increased their expectations from businesses thanks to technological innovations. New expectations arising from the Covid-19 pandemic have directed sales representatives to different skills. In the new normal, sales reps need to be skilled in many areas, including the following.
Developing new and existing relationships,
Providing prompt tailored services and advice,
Encouraging customers and taking responsibility.
Successful sales representatives instantly adapt to every innovation in the industry. It is now a necessity for sales representatives to adapt to innovations, especially in the global business environment where we are experiencing the Covid-19 pandemic. That's why employers need to consider the best way to develop the skills of their sales reps.
New data-driven approaches to sales, increasingly powered by AI, are emerging alongside major changes spanning customer interaction, employee positions, and cross-functional collaboration. For its third edition of the State of Sales report , Salesforce Research surveyed more than 2,900 global sales professionals and leaders to discover which trends are shaking up the sales world and which sales rep skills are essential in the new normal.
Take a look at the key skills sales reps need to succeed in the new normal:
People and Data-Driven Insights
Selling always requires a lot of skills. The primary characteristics of good sales representatives are their honesty, creativity and empathy. However, in the new age, these features are not enough to make good sales. It is necessary to support these skills with the right technologies .
It is not productive to predict exactly when and what expectations to enter without the help of technology. Successful sales representatives are open to innovations and understand how data insights and artificial intelligence can improve customer relations and meet their expectations.
Today, sales teams are twice as likely to prioritize leads over insights based on data analysis of purchasing propensity. The best sales teams are more likely to base their forecasts on data. While insight is a good skill for sales reps, it's not enough to succeed in the new normal. Sales reps must hone their digital skills, understand analytics, and use data-driven insights to process leads and prospecting at scale.
Collaborative Mindset
In the new normal, successful sales representatives are determined to break down silos. They understand that there are many benefits to sharing customer data with other departments and are taking a collaborative approach. 81% of sales teams say a connected view of data across the customer journey is important, 88% say it is important to increase customer satisfaction, 86 % say it is important to acquire new customers, and 77% say it is important to sell collaboratively with other departments.
Working from Home System Efficient
Sales reps began spending more time in front of the computer, and relationships with customers evolved virtually. One of the many factors that enabled this increase in virtual sales was customer preference. Customers have become increasingly digital and do not need face-to-face communication.
Globalization has led to an increase in remote working and global companies, where people from all over the world are involved in purchasing processes. Increasingly, sales reps need to be able to manage these stages virtually without always meeting face to face. Essentially, being able to communicate effectively virtually is a critical sales rep skill. Over the last three years, 60% of sales reps reported an increase in virtual meetings.
Qualified sales representatives must provide superior experiences.
Good products or low prices alone are no longer enough these days. Today's customers expect superior experiences in return for their business and loyalty. Customers expect sales representatives to understand their needs and be trustworthy.
The expectations of commercial customers have begun to transform in a similar way. 82% of B2B buyers want to have the same experience when they shop individually. Customers today have more choices as companies leverage cloud, mobile, social and AI technologies to deliver personalized, valuable and positive experiences. As a result, every business grows based on the experience it provides.
When customers demand personalized interaction, expert sales representatives are responsible for delivering. This new transformation may explain why customer satisfaction is now the most tracked sales KPI, the number one measure of sales success, and precedes hitting individual quotas.
Why Are New Sales Rep Skills Needed?
In the new normal era, the way we do business is constantly transforming. Customers do not need much face-to-face communication and are quickly going digital. 60% of reps report an increase in virtual meetings in the last three years.
These new trends may be positive as they save time, but sales representatives need to adapt and change their habits accordingly.
In order to provide the best customer experience and make sales, sales representatives need to know their customers. To achieve this goal, it is crucial that it adopts a collaborative approach with other departments, has a 360-degree customer view of marketing campaign interaction, service history and more.
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