This blog post examines seven eras in which sales have changed. We explore the skills and techniques required to succeed as a salesperson across all industries, from door-to-door selling to digital marketing today.
Sales teams are in crisis. It is no secret. Sales teams are searching for new ways to succeed, whether it’s the inability to grow sales or decreasing sales numbers.
Sale is a challenging profession that can sometimes seem impossible. Don’t worry!
Marketing Simplexity’s team is here to share the secrets of sales success – The Seven Sales Eras.
We examined 502 North American sales teams and discovered seven different eras within which they worked.
Innovation Era. Optimization Era. Consolidation Era. Uncertainty Era. Rapid Growth Era. Transformation Phase 1 and 2. And the Sustainability Era.
7 ERAS OF MARKETING
Simple Commerce Era: Everything in the simple trade era was handcrafted and sold in small quantities. This was also a time when basic commodities ruled supreme. The household would be able to produce the food they ate.
The Industrial Revolution brought about the mass production era. It lasted from the 1920s to the 1930s. Mass production was possible at a minimal cost. Most businesses only produce one product at once.
The idea that “if it’s manufactured, someone will buy it” was also a common belief in businesses. This led to increased profits over time. Due to the current market, businesses could sell everything they made.
The Sales Era (the 1920s-1940s). witnessed increasing competition among enterprises, as the market became more saturated.
Marketing and sales strategies are required to achieve this. The companies anticipated that persuasive techniques would be used to persuade customers and convince them to purchase their products.
On the other hand, companies were more interested in selling products to make a profit than they were in meeting the needs of their customers. It was all about the price at the time, not the quality or the needs of customers.
This era saw the creation of the marketing department. It lasted from 1940 to the 1960s. All marketing functions, including sales, advertising, promotions, and all other related activities, are grouped in one department.
The Marketing Company Era (the 60s-1990s: This is the period when the marketing department assumes command.
Marketing departments have been instrumental in helping companies determine their path. Marketing is crucial to the success of any company because all employees are involved.
There is also a shift from mass production toward consumer satisfaction. Customers are the center of attention and have taken over mass production. Businesses prosper because they can satisfy the needs of their customers.
Distribution methods and price strategies will also be defined during the marketing business era.
Relationship marketing Era (the 1990s-2010) During the relationship-marketing era, clients and customers are not just valued but are also encouraged to build long-term relationships.
Any company’s ultimate goal is customer loyalty. Businesses want to create products that encourage customers to return to their site time and again.
The era of Mobile/Social Marketing: Businesses place a premium on being connected with customers and being social.
Technology has made it possible for customers and businesses to communicate with each other 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Customers are now the ones driving the car, and not enterprises.
HAS PERMISSION BEEN GRANTED TO You?
Advertisers and marketers pushed content to consumers, regardless of their interest in the product or service. This was true for a large portion of the sales period.
Marketer and entrepreneur Seth Godin call this type of traditional marketing “interruption marketing”.
Advertisers could use your day to disrupt it just like it sounds. This type of interruption could be caused by a TV commercial on your favorite show, or a call from a Telemarketer while you eat dinner.
Traditional marketing was designed to grab your attention and distract you from the things that are important at the moment.
Consumers had no choice about the content they wanted until the age of social marketing. The types of advertisements that consumers saw and received were not controlled by them.
We witnessed permission marketing emerge during the relationship period.
Godin says that permission marketing does not disturb customers but asks permission to transmit content.
Because the world is bombarded with messages every day, advertisers must ask customers for permission.
This type of marketing encourages customers to learn more. Permission marketing is a way for firms to communicate with customers more effectively.
Permission marketing is, however, a slow, steady process. Permission marketing is not something that consumers will give on the spot. Before you sell or promote your goods, you need to first get approval.
Communication and value are two of the most important aspects. Permission marketing can be used to increase brand awareness and build trust. Permission marketing is built on three principles: anticipation, personalization, and relevance.
Permission marketing is still being used today. Take a look at what happens when you sign-up for a newsletter from your company or like a brand’s Facebook page.
It’s all about permission marketing. Do you know of any other permission marketing examples?
WHO RUNS THIS SHOW?
The power is yours, the consumer. You are now in control of the game. This is due to the Internet and the shift to digital environments (social media). Now, we have a new way to access information.
This will result in a shift in consumer behavior and the buying process. Traditional marketing is no longer an option.
They need to devise a strategy to send consumers relevant and valuable messages. Now it’s time for the real work. It’s time for the client to come first.
The era of mobile/social marketing is upon us. Customer engagement is the main focus. Businesses must innovate and engage with consumers and customers to be successful.
Consumers are eager to connect on social media and other technology platforms but also desire to build real relationships. Many businesses use community influencers to improve their reputation and succeed.
These influencers can help you develop your brand and increase awareness.
Companies that are honest and open about their products and services are more common. They don’t hesitate to share their shortcomings and flaws.
This transparency helps build trust and brand loyalty. Buffer is an excellent example of a transparent business.
It even has its blog! People want to feel connected to a company. Remember that brands sell to customers, but people are what sells them.
COVID-19 reshaped everything we thought we knew about business-to-business relationships.
Face-to-face consultations are no longer possible. In the past few months, we have not seen any physical events and product demonstrations are not available. COVID has caused such a shift that it has prompted an entirely new historical division.
Time has been measured from Before COVID (BC), to After Domestication(AD), How can businesses thrive in this environment? What are the options for the future?
Revenue Grid’s team worked hard to understand the new territory we are moving into as leaders in sales interactions and sales management.
We spoke with hundreds of market leaders and analyzed data from more than 502 B2B sales departments. We are now sharing the most important lessons that we have learned about sales management in this new sales era. Let’s get started.
The Most Important Sales Management Focus Areas. When COVID was first introduced, businesses were primarily concerned with survival. They needed to relocate employees to remote areas and ensure that customers continue to buy.
In recent months, however, we have begun to move from the survival stage to the evolutionary stage. Companies need to think about how they prepare for the next years at this stage.
Many companies continue to train their salespeople with outdated sales techniques that were obsolete decades ago.
Sales teams today must quickly transition to digital. There is no time for mistakes. Traditional methods, such as cold emails and in-person presentations, are no longer effective.
It wasn’t COVID alone that caused the switch.
COVID was a catalyst to improve on improvements already underway. By 2025, the global workforce will be approximately 45 percent of millennials, and they heavily depend on technology.
Let’s now examine how sales executives can change their approach and mindset to reach these goals and keep their businesses in the new era.
Your sales strategy needs to be rethought. In recent months, sales teams have been working virtually entirely remotely. Online purchases and the dissolution of traditional offices and events have made them less popular.
Effective sales managers must adapt their approach to managing employees. Remote employees, for instance, need more digital tools to manage the sales process than staff in the office.
Your in-office team might have spent much time in board rooms and meeting rooms. But your remote team communicates through instant messaging, and video and audio conferencing.
Managers need to figure out how they can have the same important talks in another setting. These adjustments don’t just apply to team leadership.
Industry leaders today have realized how important it is to plan each step of a customer’s purchase journey. Consumers now spend more than 5.8% on SaaS websites.
You must therefore carefully think about how your sales team will align with your client’s digital journey.
This could include providing social media support and teaching employees how to use virtual demonstrations. This could also mean purchasing new equipment.
You can unlock new sales channels after COVID. It’s not about training staff. You can provide better service to customers by using the channels you already use.
As the economy reopens, digital demand will not disappear and businesses slowly return to work,
Many customers may be reluctant to visit in person. Simultaneously many customers will have discovered the ease and speed of digital sales platforms.
3 Steps To Refresh Your Sales Approach And Reopen Confidently
It doesn’t mean that in-person demonstrations are still the best way to sell your products.
Take into account the changes that will be most beneficial to your customers in this new environment.
Next, examine your sales pipeline to identify areas that you can digitally expand and enhance to meet those goals. Instead of contacting clients in person, start dialogues using social media channels such as LinkedIn.
You might also be able to manage customer success and onboarding online. Tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack allow your team to easily share videos, content, and instructions with customers without ever meeting face-to-face.
These tools don’t necessarily have to be sold to clients or prospects. Some customers will want to return to more traditional interactions.
The majority of people will want something new, so it is up to you to offer it. Find out about the preferences and needs of new buyers. Sales teams will be affected by the increased demand for empathy.
Today’s consumers want to feel that the businesses they purchase from care about their needs.
McKinsey predicts that spending will fall by approximately 50% during the “AD” period. (The time after COVID). This means that you must build genuine relationships with your clients if you want your sales figures to remain high.
Our research shows that renewals were responsible for nearly 78 percent of all the opportunities sales teams discovered during the pandemic. Your most valuable clients in the future will be your repeat customers.
This is your chance to increase the trust that you have with your customers and make them feel special.
Today’s buyers value personal relationships more than ever because of COVID’s terror and the stress of separation.
Customers want to feel a connection with the businesses they purchase from.
We’re seeing more businesses trying to show their appreciation by offering discounts, free accounts, or other wonderful gifts.
Think about how you can show your customers that you are sensitive to their needs.
This could mean offering customers with difficulty paying their bills payment plans or stopping payments. Others may just need to modify their sales messaging.
Our findings show that sales teams that communicated how their software could save firms from the disaster were more successful than those who focused solely on the product’s features.
This means that you need to show your clients how you can help them achieve their goals. Activate new technology In the post-COVID era it will be crucial to develop new ways of thinking and methods.
However, businesses will need to think about how they can open up doors in other ways. For example, identifying the right software and technology for a job. Technology is an integral part of the sales process.
Companies have relied for years on sales interaction and customer relationship management technologies.
Technology is, however, more important than ever. Remote working requires business executives to use more time and project management tools to keep track of who and when they contact their leads.
Guided selling tools are increasingly popular to show clients how they react to different items at different stages of the buyer’s journey.
There are many solutions available that will empower and motivate team members, regardless of whether they are working remotely.
There will be an increase in the number of tools that businesses use, which will lead to a greater need for products that combine all aspects of the sales environment into one.
Companies will need a complete ecosystem to communicate with customers, open new opportunities, and have one point of truth for all their data.
For example, Customer Revenue Optimization systems can help sales teams save time and effort by combining CRM data with email inboxes to create a single pane.
Avoid the Pitfalls of COVID
Companies must be aware of the potential problems they might face in today’s business world. Let’s look at some of the most common blunders that we found during our analysis.
Resuming old routines: Employees may feel compelled to return to their old routines when they return to work. Your old strategy might not be as effective because of the changes in recent months.
Keep learning the lessons and skills you have learned through COVID.
Try to get in as quickly as possible: Sales teams today must be agile and flexible to stay on top of trends and keep up with the curve. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to see the big picture.
