No time to sit still
September 12, 2022
It has been interesting following the trials and tribulations of the All Blacks...
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Although we are happy to see the back of 2020, we’re not forgetting it in a hurry and we're exploring the multitude of learning’s and questions it presented. We’re still Zooming more than we ever had, and the majority of us are still hugely optimistic according to the Mood of the Sales Leader 2021, which we are excited to share with you, access here. There are a number of challenges this survey has highlighted, but equally positives emerging and opportunities that perhaps we would not have identified had we not had the ‘kick up the backside’ that we so rudely got in 2020.
One interesting highlight from the Mood of the Sales Leader was that 45% of contributors said that in the medium term (3 – 5 years), Covid-19 was going to have a positive impact on their business. Why? Because it was going to make us do things differently, change direction, cause businesses to innovate and re look at their strategic direction. What an opportunity. I have enjoyed www.covidinnovations.com, for inspiration on doing things differently.
Our interest is how it will change the way that we sell? For many there will be lip service, there will be talk we will do this and that, which may never eventuate, but for others (and some already) changes will be made. These will ultimately lead to a raft of positive outcomes including, better internal processes, happier staff, better client knowledge and increased revenue.
What we do know now is that face to face meetings have reduced, they haven’t been fully replaced but they have reduced. In the past there was an expectation that all of your meetings with a prospect or client should be in person but now the online meeting is an acceptable part of the process. We also know that for our productivity that is a very positive change.
At Indicator the biggest questions we had from our community in the second half of last year was how do we turn our focus to inside sales? Can we turn our customer service team into sales roles and what do we do with our field sales teams?
The worldwide trend is to employ more inside sales teams as they are less expensive, sales teams are focusing less on geography and more on verticals with productivity outweighing the field salesperson. We have seen some research that highlights that
"inside sales hiring is outstripping outside sales by 15:1"
This shift was well on its way pre-Covid but has accelerated in the past 12 months.
Deciding whether you can transition to inside sales, depends on your industry, customer base, complexity of sales and what you are selling. If you are one of the many companies grappling those questions right now, we’ve compiled some thought starters and actions for you.
A lot to think about, but the opportunities are there. Sales is definitely not a destination, it’s a wild and unpredictable journey, keep the conversations happening, keep evolving and pick up the phone if you need us.
September 12, 2022
It has been interesting following the trials and tribulations of the All Blacks...
July 18, 2023