Sales Have Changed, and You Should, Too

 

Are you a seasoned salesperson? You’re probably used to doing things a certain way. Let’s face it, if you’ve had success using your unique methods, you likely aren’t interested in change.

There’s a big problem with that logic, though. Sales, as a whole, have changed. Whether you’re in B2B or B2C, you’ve probably seen that people are not as willing to take a phone call, or sit with you for an hour.

Instead, people are filling out online forms and connecting with representatives via LiveChat software. Why listen to someone try and “sell” you when you can just head to a website or social media page and engage casually on your own terms?

Sales is no longer about knocking on doors and setting meetings. It’s more about getting the right people to approach you in a way that makes them feel comfortable. Today, it’s all about guidance and education… social engagement and the buyer’s journey.

So how do you do it? 

 

1) Adjust Your Website

 

In the old days of selling, you could work at building a relationship with your customers for months. You’d take them to dinner, send them gifts, and eventually get the sale. You did that all in person, or over the phone.

With websites, you have a little under 15 seconds to capture someone’s attention. Any longer than that, and you’ll likely lose them.

In his book “Building a StoryBrand,” author and marketing guru Donald Miller explains the importance of getting right to the point with your website, and all of your marketing, really.

“People don’t buy the best products; they buy the products they can understand the fastest,” Miller wrote.

In other words, get to the point.

Don’t waste time putting your life story on your website. Start by empathizing with your target customer’s problem, then explaining, in short order, how you are best suited to fix it. And make sure that there is always a call-to-action right in front of your visitor.

After that, in a very easy, understandable way, you’ll want to guide them through THEIR story. Every word you write, and every piece of content you add, should have a very specific purpose to directly related back to the main point: You’re here to solve their problem.

“Here is nearly every story you see or hear in a nutshell: A CHARACTER who wants something encounters a PROBLEM before they can get it. At the peak of their despair, a GUIDE steps into their lives, gives them a PLAN, and CALLS THEM TO ACTION. That action helps them avoid FAILURE and ends in a SUCCESS.”

Donald Miller – Author – Bulding a StoryBrand

Do that, and you’ll find that people will starting knocking on your door (or email inbox).

Other tips: Make sure your site is actively maintained and updated with new content, such as an informational blog. Your website should look great and function perfectly on any device. Use analytics & a heatmap to see how customers are responding, and make adjustments as needed. Make sure that your website is part of all of your marketing.

Get your website graded today: website.grader.com

 

2) Get Social

 

It’s sort of crazy to think that, even in 2019, some businesses are not using social media. Sure, it’s a bit daunting, but you’re not going to seem reputable unless people can find you online.

If you want to increase sales, you need to have a digital presence, whether it’s on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.

But you can’t be half-in, half-out. Prepare yourself with good information to share, and don’t spam people with a plethora of sales-related posts. And this is crucial: Make sure you have a good, updated profile picture!

 

Related Article: 5 Reasons Your Social Media is Failing, and How You Can Change It For the Better

 

You wouldn’t believe the amount of salespeople that either don’t have profile pictures, or that use pictures from 20 years ago. It’s not a good look.

If you’re operating as a business, make sure that you create a business page. You might think that all of your friends want to see your company posts but, chances are, they really don’t.

Once you start to get social, use your social media as a means to drive people to your website, whether it’s with blogs or infographics with links. Again, you want to be the guide. publish stories about helping other customers solve their problems, then ask those customers to recommend you on your channels.

The key to selling with social media is being genuine.

Don’t send friend requests to potential clients. Instead, encourage others to connect with you, or follow your pages. Set an advertising budget, and utilize social media ads. Put your page links on all of your marketing, including your website. And, publish good, relevant content that people want to interact with and share with their connections.

Do all of this, and you’re likely to start seeing some inquiries in your inbox.

Don’t Overdo It: If you only have time for one or two social media channels, stick with those until you’re comfortable to move forward. Have several inactive channels can do more harm than good.

 

3) Don’t Wait Too Long to Respond

 

Revenue-generating websites and social media channels with a lot of followers are around to accomplish one goal: Get you more leads.

But what if those leads just aren’t panning out. If people come to your website, they’re obviously ready to buy, so why can’t you convert at a high rate?

Most of the time, it’s because you’re waiting way too long to respond.

According to Hubspot, almost two-thirds of buyers expect a response within 10 minutes to any marketing, sales, or customer service inquiry. Sure, we all get busy. But if you’re driving people to contact you, then you’d better make sure they are getting some sort of immediate response.

One major reason why sales is so different now is because, with so much competition in nearly ever industry, there is little room for error. If you don’t connect with a customer quickly, that person is likely to move on to someone else.

In many cases, up to 70 percent of leads are wasted – partly through not being replied to, but more often because the reply is made too late to effectively continue the sales process.

TimeToReply.com

Here’s a good example: My wife and I wanted to sell our home and purchase a new one a few years back. We reached out to a family friend who was considered to be a great real estate agent via her Facebook page. We were excited to get the process rolling, as we’d already been looking at a few houses and we wanted to take a few tours.

After about two hours without a response, I remembered that another agent sent us a mailer with comparable sales in our area. I found the mailer, emailed him, and he got back to me within two minutes. Needless to say, throughout the entire process, he was attentive and available.

The other agent? She didn’t respond to our inquiry until about two months AFTER we listed, citing that she “never checked Facebook.” This story belongs in all three sections of this article to serve as a “lesson learned.”

You see, people are accustomed to immediate responses. In fact, InsideSales.com reported that, “50% of buyers choose the vendor that responds first.”

Respond quickly, and you’ll be in the best position to get the sale.

 

Put Yourself in a Position to Win at Online Sales!

 

Sales positions have changed, but you can still do great things if you adapt. It’s hard to let go of old habits, but you can still be the honest, trustworthy sales associate you’ve always been, as long as you stay current with the times.

If you’re still not sure how to navigate this digital world, we are here to help. Connect with us on Facebook (Click Here) and/or Twitter (Click Here) to ask us more questions or provide some feedback on this article.

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Thanks for reading, and best of luck on your sales journey!