How Digital is Changing ‘Business as Usual’ for Sales Reps

It’s an undeniable fact – the world has gone digital. Customers prefer digital engagement over traditional ways to buy, and this has changed the way organizations need to interact, and the way they need to think in order to survive.

New technologies seem to be sprouting up every week. Big and small companies alike are hard-pressed to deliver a user experience that’s up to date, interactive, and mobile friendly. Buyers expect more, and demand more from sales reps.

The latest mobile sales enablement technologies are the new ‘business as usual’ – and if you’re not familiar with them, you’re already a step behind. Here are five of the biggest ways the process has changed:

1. Marketing has Become More Personal, and More Relevant

We’re moving towards a world where sales reps are far better prepared. They aren’t digging through the research papers, a day later, to answer a customer’s questions – they already know what kind of questions the client is likely to ask, right from the start.

Sales enablement helps your company know the needs and preferences of each client. It helps you know beforehand which kind of message is most likely to work best. That makes the process of selling more targeted, more intelligent, and more effective.

2. Marketing Automation Dovetails with Sales Enablement

1 in 4 companies say their marketing and sales teams are either “rarely aligned” or “misaligned.”

Smart marketing automation technology doesn’t exist in a vacuum, or in a separate box. It now joins seamlessly with sales enablement so management, marketing, and sales teams know exactly where each prospect is in the sales journey at any given stage.

Aligning each aspect of your company’s digital strategy into one cohesive unit means that there is unity and harmony across the organization – and more importantly, cost savings, and better results.

3. Content Management is More Focused

New research from SiriusDecisions shows that up to 70% of content created by B to B marketing teams is never utilized.

Many companies jumped on the marketing content bandwagon some time ago. The result is a mass of sales collateral – which is a good thing – if your customer gets to actually read it. Much of it, unfortunately, gets relegated to a folder somewhere, and seldom sees the light of day.

Sales enablement technology changes all of that. Sales reps can easily find and utilize just the right assets in order to make the pitch count. Sales calls, and post-sales visits are more effective.

4. Customers are Now Constantly Connected

Knowledge is power, and the fact that information is so easy to get has meant that the balance of power has shifted into the hands of the customer. Gone are the days of a company-centric buyer experience.

Sales enabling technologies are a vital lifeline for sales reps in this kind of environment. Customers can easily connect across multiple channels, and it’s important that sales reps have the tools to stay competitive.

5. Sales Enablement has gone Completely Mobile

Not too long ago a sales rep might have felt a bit lost without one of those laser pointing devices. It was high tech. These days the most important weapon in a sales rep’s arsenal is a tablet, provided of course it’s online, and armed with mobile sales enablement. The way reps need to engage customers has evolved.

The art of selling might always stay the same, in a certain fundamental way, but the tools we use to sell need to adapt to the environment we live in. How does your sales team measure up?