Negative Press When Selling? 10 Strategies Salespeople Can Use

Negative press about a product can be a huge challenge for salespeople.

It can be demotivating to hear negative feedback from customers, and it can be difficult to convince potential customers to buy a product that they’ve heard negative things about.

However, there are strategies salespeople can use to overcome negative press and maintain sales momentum.

   

1.    Acknowledge The Negative Press

The first step in overcoming negative press is to acknowledge it. Don’t ignore or brush off negative feedback, but instead address it head-on. Acknowledge the issues that people have had with the product, and explain how the company has addressed or plans to address these issues. Be transparent and honest about the challenges, and show that you’re committed to improving the product.  

2.    Focus On The Benefits

Rather than dwelling on the negative press, focus on the benefits of the product. Highlight the features that make the product unique and valuable, and explain how it can meet the needs of your customers. Use customer success stories and case studies to demonstrate the positive impact the product has had for other customers.  

3.    Use Social Proof

Social proof is a powerful tool for overcoming negative press because it:
  • Highlights positive reviews and testimonials from satisfied customers.
  • Uses social media to showcase customer success stories
  • Encourages happy customers to share their experiences with their network
  • Uses third-party endorsements, such as awards or industry recognition to demonstrate the quality and value of the product
 

4.    Offer Value-Adds

 One way to overcome negative press is to offer value-adds that incentivise customers to try the product. Offer free trials or demos to give customers a chance to try the product for themselves. Offer discounts or promotional pricing to entice customers who may be hesitant to buy. Provide exceptional customer service and support to build trust and loyalty with customers.  

5.    Leverage Relationships

Building strong relationships with customers is critical to overcoming negative press. Build trust with customers by providing exceptional service and support. Go the extra mile to address any concerns they may have. Use existing relationships to generate positive word-of-mouth and referrals, and encourage happy customers to share their experiences with their network.    

6.    Address The Root Cause

To truly overcome negative press, it’s important to address the root cause of the negative feedback. Listen to customer feedback and take action to address any issues or concerns they may have. Use customer feedback to improve the product and ensure that it meets the needs of your customers.  

7.    Be Proactive

To prevent negative press from occurring in the first place you should:
  • Be proactive in addressing customer needs and concerns
  • Communicate with customers regularly to understand their needs and address any issues they may have
  • Use customer feedback to improve the product and ensure that it meets customer needs
  • Be transparent and honest with customers about any challenges the company is facing
  • Show that you’re committed to providing a high-quality product and exceptional customer service
 

8.    Invest In Marketing And PR

Investing in marketing and PR can be an effective way to overcome negative press. Use marketing and PR campaigns to highlight the benefits of the product and showcase customer success stories. Use social media to engage with customers and generate positive word-of-mouth. Partner with influencers or thought leaders in the industry to generate positive buzz and increase product awareness.  

9.    Provide Education And Resources

One reason that negative press can be so damaging is that customers may not fully understand the product or its benefits. To overcome negative press, provide education and resources that help customers understand the product and its value. Provide training or webinars to help customers get the most out of the product. Create a knowledge base or support centre that provides answers to common questions and issues.  

10.  Stay Positive And Focused

It’s important to stay positive and focused when dealing with negative press. In today’s fast-paced, highly connected world, negative press can spread like wildfire. And for salespeople, this can be a major obstacle to overcome when trying to sell a product.    

Negative press can undermine a salesperson’s efforts to persuade customers to buy. People are often hesitant to invest in a product that has received negative attention.

With a proactive approach, salespeople can overcome negative press and help customers understand the true value of their product.

Remember: It is important to be transparent and honest with customers when it comes to selling a product.

 

Honesty is always the best policy when it comes to selling a product. Salespeople should be transparent about any issues or negative press that the product has received, but also highlight the steps that the company has taken to address these issues.   By being honest and transparent, salespeople can establish a sense of credibility with their customers.  

Leverage Customer Testimonials and Reviews, and use them to demonstrate the product’s value and effectiveness.

  This can help reassure potential customers that the product has satisfied customers who are willing to share their positive experiences.    

Contact KONA today to discuss tailored sales strategies for your business.

Call 1300 611 288 or Email info@kona.com.au
  contact us button - Phil-Mont Christian Academy    

6 Ways To Create A Positive Sales ‘HUNTING’ Culture

 

To genuinely create a positive sales culture, you need a long-term strategy.

Consistency and purposeful support, partnered with the following strategies will help you achieve a driven and positive sales team.

   

1. Listen To Learn

Provide sales podcasts and books for your team to learn on the go. It is a good idea to have your team listen to motivational material on their way to and from appointments. Information on communication skills and product resources can also increase basic sales knowledge.  

2. Give Feedback

  Managers can join team members on sales calls and give feedback as soon as the meeting finishes. Providing immediate feedback reinforces what went well and what can be improved.  

3. Allow Time For Change

  Learning and applying new skills takes time. Allow your team adequate time to learn and change. Remember, it can be a slow process before you see results.   The Super Bowl of Sales - Hunters vs. Farmers  

4. Measure Results

Use your team’s self-identified goals to measure their progress. Hold them accountable for their sales goals. To really gauge how much of an impact training has made, track your team’s:
  • Lead generation
  • Sales calls
  • Up-sells
  • Closing rates
 

5. Provide Ongoing Training

Benefits of providing ongoing sales training for your team include:
  • Increasing employee engagement
  • Improving the skills of your team
  • Team members feeling valued
  • More success for your business
 

6. Allocate Time To Coaching

  Many managers make the mistake of spending an equal amount of time coaching each of their reps. But this simple time allocation methodology ignores the potential return on your time investment. You should spend most of your time coaching salespeople with medium skills. This will provide you with the highest return on your time investment. Reps with mid-range skills are average performers – they have room for improvement. Good coaching can help an average performer become a high achiever.  
A good rule of thumb is that you should spend:
  • 60% of your coaching time with your salespeople with medium skill levels,
  • 15% of your coaching time with your salespeople with low skill levels, and
  • 25% of your coaching time with your salespeople with high skill levels.
  Your sales team can benefit from a fun, interactive and customised training program that will help you win more customers.  

Contact KONA to discuss tailored training options for your team!

Get In Touch Button Images – Browse 1,420 Stock Photos, Vectors, and Video | Adobe Stock

4 Selling Techniques For Social Media And Beyond

Salespeople have been presented with a new landscape in the rapidly changing digital-age

The right way to approach social sales is one of the most valuable things today’s salespeople can learn.

Here you will find 4 effective selling techniques for social media and beyond.

   

1. Have A Marketing Approach

To be successful in sales, some of your practices should be marketing techniques.

Although there is a distinction between a marketer and a salesperson, it’s important for salespeople to incorporate marketing into their sales process.

 

2. Technology Has Shifted Sales Conversations

Sales conversations aren’t what they used to be. Nowadays prospects can:
  • Research your company
  • Research you
  • Know everything you have to offer

Now, the techniques formerly used to approach customers and start sales conversations have changed. And you need to know how to navigate this situation.

 

3. Connect Online And In Person With Your Customer

The ‘social’ aspect of selling is more about building relationships than selling a product or service.

You have to make a real connection with prospects, and not just make a transaction.

This approach is more time consuming, but is packed with benefits. It results in having trusting and loyal relationships with customers.

  38 Social Selling Statistics You Need to Know for 2023  

4. Face-To-Face Interaction Is Still Important

Making connections in a social media sense is important, but doesn’t outweigh the importance of having face-to-face meeting with your customer.

 Nowadays many salespeople make the mistake of thinking social media is all they need.

A face-to-face meeting will always create a more personal and trusting connection than an online connection.

 
Contact KONA today to discuss how you can make your sales process more personal & effective!
 

[button link=”https://kona.com.au/contact-us/” type=”big”] CONTACT KONA[/button]

   

4 Reasons Why Sales Persistence Pays Off

When it comes to selling, the right amount of persistence is critical.

Statistics tell us – calling until you make the sale – works.

However! 90% of salespeople give up after just four calls.

This graph shows that 8% of the sales people are making 80% of the sales:

Here are 4 reasons why it is beneficial to be persistent as a salesperson.

1. It Makes You Stand Out From The Crowd

Most salespeople are not persistent.

Studies have found that almost 50% of salespeople give up after the first call.

Typically salespeople get caught up in active business, instead of following up prospective customers. Follow up your prospects with more calls than your competition, and you’re already ahead!

2. Increases Customer’s Confidence In You

Persistence will –

  • Increase the customer’s confidence in you.
  • Keep you at the top of their list when they are ready to buy.
  • Give your prospect an insight into your dedication and work ethic. However, you also need to be able to gauge when it is time to call it quits.

3. Demonstrates Dedication & Purpose

The right amount of persistence will show your prospects that you are dedicated, and truly passionate about the product or service you are offering.

Persistance assists with –

  • Building relationships, as prospective customers will see that you have purpose.
  • You can prevail through challenges.
  • It will give you a better understanding of what the customer needs.

4. Motivates You To Try Harder & Shows You The Value Of Success

Persistence helps you to discover that each failure is another learning experience. When you have a successful sale after being persistent, you quickly realise that the hard work does pay off.

The most difficult clients are the hardest to lose. Why? It takes discipline and persistence to gain their business. And 90% of salespeople don’t have it.

Sales persistence is not merely calling until you make a sale, it is knowing how to properly navigate the sales process from the beginning.

Persistence does not always come naturally, it’s a learned trait when mastered can be incredibly valuable.

Are your sales team persistent?

Contact KONA for customised Value Sales Training for your team and stay ahead of you competitors!

8 Tips To Improve Your Sales Performance

Regardless of the business you’re in, sales tactics that have previously worked well may not work so well today.

Sales is an industry that moves quickly. From new competitors arising to new products similar to yours being introduced; you need to be innovative to stay relevant.

  Here you will find 8 tips to enhance your sales performance.  

1. Know Your Objective

Understand your business’ role. Think about what you do best, and what type of people need your services. Consider your product or service; what are people willing to pay for it?    

2. Break Down Your Objective Into Smaller Goals

Note down your activity targets within your control. These can be things like, calls per day or proposals per month. To then measure your progress, set results targets. For example, appointments set per call or sales made per month. Increase your activity and measure the results. Setting goals or targets allows you to focus your attention.    

3. Sell To Your Client’s Needs

Work under the assumption that your prospective buyers will purchase only what they need. It is your job to convince them of that need. Put an emphasis on the features of your product or service that will benefit the customer. Be creative in your marketing.    

4. Build And Retain Positive Attention

Efficient advertising, referrals, tactical questions, and sales skills are key to generating positive attention. Thorough follow-through partnered with great customer service are the keys to retaining it.    

5. Sell On Purpose

Think about what you do and why you do it. Who is your target customer and what questions will you ask them? Consider what your proposal will look like and why. If you feel unsure of yourself at any point during the sales process, it could be time to get some coaching or advice.    

6. Ask, Listen, Act

When asking questions during the sale process, ensure they are prepared, direct and relevant. You need to have effective listening skills and show the customer you listened to them by responding and taking action.    

7. Take Responsibility, Not Credit

You want to build a strong support team that is willing to go out of their way to help you when you need it. To do this, give your team credit when things go right, and take the blame when things go wrong.    

8. Don’t Compromise On Your Integrity

When it comes to sales and marketing, operating ethically is of the utmost importance. Due to negative stereotypes presented in the media, most people assume that all salespeople are the same. This can be a challenge for many companies. Operating with integrity and ethics will show your customer that you are trustworthy and will strengthen your reputation.    
Does your sales team need a modern approach to enhance their performance?
 

Contact KONA by emailing info@kona.com.au or call 1300 611 288

4 Reasons Why Sales Training Should Be A Component Of Your Recruitment Strategy

When recruiting new team members for your business, there are many considerable factors to ensure your offer is most appealing to your target recruit. Generally, companies will hire established salespeople with the assumption that they won’t need further training. In doing so, you could be missing out on the opportunity to grow and develop the next top salesperson.

Here are 4 reasons why you should implement an offer of sales training into your recruitment process:

1. You Are More Likely To Retain Staff When You Offer Ongoing Training


Offering ongoing training to employees will make them feel valued. It attracts the right type of person to the role, someone who is eager to enhance their skills and wants career progression. Going into a new job knowing you will have opportunities to learn and develop new skills naturally boosts enthusiasm. Not to mention your business’ recruitment costs will reduce when you have a high staff retention rate.

2. Be Proactive, Not Reactive


It is common for businesses to only consider training their sales team when there are problems emerging. A more effective strategy is to offer staff training regularly. This will prevent problems before they occur and ensures any issues are stamped out early on. Incorporating Sales Training into your recruitment process will ensure any new staff that come on board are trained in the same way as your current salespeople.

3. Attract A Quality Candidate To The Position


Proposing a training program in your employment offer is attractive to prospective employees as it eases tension related to taking on a new job. It opens the doors to people who may not have a lot of experience in the field, but they are eager to learn and with the right training, could be the next best salesperson on your team.

4. Promotes An Encouraging And Supportive Work Environment

Sales Training has a positive influence on staff enthusiasm, engagement, and fulfilment. Offering training opportunities at the recruitment stage promotes your business as being supportive. It shows you have intent for employee growth within the company. Offering sales training from the beginning of a salesperson’s career demonstrates that your company is willing to invest in their team.

You can achieve these benefits and more by offering effective training as part of your recruitment process.

Find out how you can incorporate Sales Training into your recruitment strategy by contacting KONA!

Phone 1300 611 288 or email info@kona.com.au

6 Signs Your Sales Manager Is Failing As A Sales Coach

Sales Coaching versus Sales Training - Adroit Insights

When you notice your sales team are struggling, it can be hard to pinpoint the source of the problem. Could it be that your sales manager is failing as a sales coach? If this is the case, it can lead to many problems in the business. How will you know if it is the sales manager or another factor affecting performance?

Here, we will tell you 6 signs that your sales manager could be failing as a sales coach.

6. They Are Not Motivational
Salespeople need inspiration and motivation to deliver exceptional results. There are countless ways a sales manager can motivate their team, they can offer incentives, create competitions or even verbal encouragement. If a sales manager is not motivating the team and getting them excited to sell, the team will quickly lose their drive and may even feel frustrated. 5. They Are Not Teaching Their Team About New Products A good sales manager will ensure they are setting aside time to teach their team about new products and services. If the team are not educated about a product, how will they sell it? Salespeople need to know not only what the product is, but also the benefits and features, in order to be able to sell it.
4. They Are Focusing On The Wrong Salespeople
Typically, sales managers will focus their attention on their highest and lowest performing team members, when in fact it is those in between that need the most time. Your best salespeople are already doing well and if your underperforming salespeople are consistently underperforming, this may not be the role for them. The salespeople in the middle of the spectrum can go either way. If the middle salespeople are not given the right tools and training, they will drop to the bottom. With the right coaching however, they will likely rise to the top.
3. They Are Results-Focused, Not People-Focused
If your sales manager’s only concern is successful sales and not helping the sales team, this is a problem. Sales coaching encompasses observations, uncovering strengths and weaknesses within the team and helping the team through them. A successful sales coach will focus on improving each salesperson’s performance, rather than just their mistakes.
2. They Are Not Coaching Regularly
Studies show that 65% of employees say the training and learning opportunities provided to them positively impacts their engagement in the workplace. When team members are engaged, they are more likely to take on more and ultimately become better at what they do. In order to improve skills and learn new techniques sales coaching needs to be used consistently, not just when a new salesperson joins the team.
1. Your Salespeople Do The Following:
  • Miss their KPI’s often
  • Business only comes from existing “friendly” customers or clients
  • Don’t prospect or generate enough fresh leads
  • They don’t do enough Quality Sales Activity
  • Are uncomfortable speaking with decision makers in Leadership or Senior Management positions
  • Are only comfortable talking about problems, price, and product specs
  • Miss opportunities in their Pipeline due to not chasing or revisiting leads consistently
  • Have a low Lead to Sale Conversion Ratio
  • Don’t generate enough repeat business from clients
  • Blame the market, products or services, customers, accounts, their managers, or the price of petrol when they miss target, as “It’s not my fault.”

Can you recognise any of these traits in your sales manager? If so, it may be time to consider investing in a sales coaching for your team to help them reach their full potential.

  click here to contact the KONA Group red button or call 1300 611 288  

3 Crucial Steps to Sales Training ROI

The 5 Requirements to Maximize ROI on Sales Training - Business 2 Community

One of the many questions we get asked a lot, and often from sales leaders and learning and development experts, is:

how do we make sure the skills gained in the sales training are applied to drive long term results?

According to Gartner research, B2B salespeople forget 70% of the information they learn within a week of training.

And moreover, 87% will forget it within a month.

SO, HOW?

But the answer is not to avoid sales training altogether. No, that would be most ridiculous and detrimental to the performance of your team.

Because in doing so you risk underskilled salespeople staying on in your organisation.

But even more damaging, is you also risk losing valuable people because they are not being developed to their full potential.

So what is the answer to how do we make sure skills gained in the sales training are applied?

Well, it’s DB-DD-MA. Define Before, Development During, Measurement After.

1. DEFINE BEFORETeams and Team Discovery - The Predictive Index

Before you embark on sales training for your team, begin by actively involving each person in their learning development.

That means defining exactly where their challenges are and how the training will benefit the growth of both them professionally and the organisation.

This is an important step because if you have not defined the expectations of your training program then how do you expect to hold your people accountable? Tell everyone who is going on the training. Clearly define outcomes.

Next, complete an analysis of the skills of your existing sales team. Good training organisations will offer this as part of their discovery sessions.

Fundamentally, involve your Sales Leaders! These valuable team players are so important in making this work.

It is your sales leaders and managers who will play the biggest part in embedding the learnings from the training and making it last the long term.

2. DEVELOPMENT DURINGStages of Team Development | Introduction to Business

There are plenty of sales training techniques and sales methodologies to learn to sharpen the skills of your sales team, all the way to managers and executives.

But here are a few additional thoughts to consider during training sessions.

  • Teach your people how to give and receive feedback on the training and their learning ability
  • Get everyone to commit to the next steps, that is what they will do next with the information they have learned
  • Instill a value of note taking and instant knowledge application
  • And the biggest win! As a Sales Leader – be at the training as well. From our feedback of salespeople, nothing says ‘this isn’t that important’ to your team more than if their Leader is ‘too busy to attend. It’s also a massively missed opportunity on your behalf to see first-hand the team in a different setting to the day-to-day grind.

3. MEASUREMENT AFTER

How to Make Sense of Your Team Performance

Once training is over, have your sales managers track the follow-up commitments made by their team. Here is how.

Coaching, Coaching, and More Coaching

At the start, you defined the skills and behaviours the training was designed to impact.

Stay true to this effort and see the process through. Now is the time to double down on coaching activities around those competencies.

This is where you get the value from the training.  Set out coaching objectives based on the training for the sales leaders and their teams and make sure they adhere to it. This must be treated as a priority discussion point in your weekly meetings.

Follow-Up

Plan a follow-up internal communication campaign.

That includes highlighting areas of best practice and who’s doing well implementing their new skills.

Also, note the stories of achievement using the new learnings.

Visualise the Learnings

Part of keeping your training alive, we encourage sales managers and their teams to do a video replay of what they’ve learned.

This has proven so successful and is much more beneficial that than a ‘test’ to ensure the knowledge is embedded.

Record their learning takeaways and have their managers take note on areas they need to focus on in follow up coaching.

Additionally, make sure you maintain their active involvement in the learning process.

That means have each salesperson also include their plan in how they are implementing the new knowledge.

This embeds the learnings and is crucial for accountability.

Peer Support

Continuing from the point on active involvement, give your sales teams an opportunity to be heard.

Peer support learning is a strong way to embed and reinforce new ideas.

If a new win was influenced by what was taught in training, have the salesperson write up an internal brief using the terminology.

Share the knowledge and the rewards.

Hearts and Minds Sales Methodology Outline

Book your Sales Team on their Value Sales Training Workshop. Gather the team and we will take care of the rest.

Call us at KONA on 1300 611 288 for a conversation, or email info@kona.com.au anytime.

LAURETTE WITH HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY ON IT FOR KONA GROUP SALES TRAINING SALES HEALTH CHECK

 

5 Tips to Master Sales Closing Like a Pro

Closing Techniques: One Is Never Enough - SalesFuel Sales closing is an art. A hard and elusive art. Yet an art that when done right brings so much joy. Well-trained salespeople have mastered the art of sales closing. But it certainly doesn’t happen overnight. Sales closing is a time-honoured skill, that with time, only gets better.
WHAT IS SALES CLOSING?
Sales closing is getting a prospect to agree to a deal and sign a contract. It is how salespeople achieve KPIs. Ultimately, it is how businesses grow revenue. Put simply, sales closing is the culmination of all your efforts. You put in the time and made a strong case for your customer. That is, why your product or service is the solution that will solve all their pain points. But getting to that elusive closing stage certainly takes plenty of patience and persistence. Clients will often say no more than once before they get to a yes. However, the problem is, that many salespeople give up before they reach that final yes. That is, that yes that is just around the corner of Give Up Street. 19 Sales Closing Techniques for Reps (with Examples) Now it is worth noting that sales closing isn’t the only stage of the pipeline that matters, but it is absolute. That means, you either close or you don’t. The make-or-break nature of sales closing can make it one of the most stressful aspects of selling. However, it does not have to be. To help, here are 5 Tips to Master Sales Closing Like a Pro.  

1. ACT ON BUYING INTENTThe Essential Guide to Successful Intent-Based Marketing

Learn how to recognise when you’ve successfully gotten your client into the buyer mindset. That is so you know when it’s appropriate to ask for the sale. Being able to spot this buying intent during the sales process is hard. But when you learn how to identify it, you can ask at the right time and you’ll see positive results. The buying intent could be an easy one to spot. That is it could come in the form of a straightforward expression of a desire to buy. Like “this is what we’ve been looking for! When can we get this delivered ASAP?” Or it could be a lot trickier than that. That is, more subtle and requires nudges to get over the line. Like a client taking an interest in a specific offering and asking detailed questions about it but not committing. Either way, being able to recognise your customer’s buying intent signals the beginning of the sales closing process.  

2. IRON OUT ALL THE DETAILS

What is driving the disconnect between sales and marketing? Put everything out on the table. Clearly. That includes your expectations, payment terms, delivery details, timelines, and so forth. Most deals fall through when each party thinks they’re getting something a little different than first agreed to. So, make sure your proposal is clear and mutually agreed upon.  

3. MOVE FAST9 Proven Ways to Beat The Competition in Business and Create a Winning Competitive Advantage | The Kickass Entrepreneur

When you get the green light, don’t stall. Otherwise, the moment will go cold. Strike while the iron is hot. Know exactly the core steps in your sales process. Hasten to get all the administrative logistics authorised. All the while, walking your buyer through each of the steps. No matter what you do, it is crucial not to waste a lot of time creating your proposal document. All too often we hear from sales Managers who say their sales team hear the words they want to hear to win the deal but then take way too long to put it on paper. And very often they end up losing it to a speedier competitor. Sound familiar?  

4. UNDERPROMISE AND OVERDELIVERراهکار های موفقیت در آزمون آیلتس over-delivery - EnglishCapsule

Even with the best intentions of creating a fantastic customer experience, sometimes businesses and their people commit to unrealistic deadlines. This, in turn, can cause them to let customers down. So instead of overpromising and underdelivering, why not build the opposite into your business practices?  Build customer delight and loyalty by underpromising and overdelivering. Can you create added value around the product, service, or action that you deliver?  

5. ASK FOR NEXT STEPSHow to map your sales process steps | Pipedrive

The best way to master sales closing like a pro is to define and agree on a clear “Next Steps” strategy. Your Next Steps strategy needs to be relevant to the sale. Such as scheduling another call to talk about quotes, visiting the prospect in person, or providing supporting documents and case studies. The point is that you need to discuss and agree on something before you end that meeting. This ensures a mutual commitment from both parties, as well as locking in another meeting. THE PESSIMIST SAYS ½ Empty THE OPTIMIST SAYS ½ Full THE SALESPERSON SAYS “Let’s talk about the benefits of ice”

Book your Sales Team on their Value Sales Training Workshop. Gather the team and we will take care of the rest.

Call us at KONA on 1300 611 288 for a conversation, or email info@kona.com.au anytime.

 LAURETTE WITH HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY ON IT FOR KONA GROUP SALES TRAINING SALES HEALTH CHECK

The Number 1 Biggest Change to Our Sales Process

Neuromarketing – How it Can Help You Grow Your Sales | Secret Entourage

4 Ways Power has Shifted to the Buyer

and What Sales Professionals Can Do to Adapt

Like so many other industries, the world of sales has shifted on its axis over the last few years. This change has indeed left many businesses and sales professionals stranded. As well as leaving many feeling quite isolated. But there is one major change that has occurred in recent years that has completely changed the way we conduct our sales process.

The biggest change to our Sales Process to date is:

the balance of power has shifted from sellers to buyers.

Let us break this down further. Over a very short space of time, our sales process has turned on its head. And as such, we must change with it or be left behind. As we have revealed, the biggest change to our sales process to date is, that the balance of power has shifted from sellers to buyers. That means our sales process has shifted from:
  • Buyer Beware To Seller Beware
  • Tangible Products To Everything-As-A-Service
  • Complex And Cumbersome To Simple And Agile
  • Product Led To Outcome Led
  • Money Now/Value Later To Value Now/Money Later
  • Become A Disruptor Strategy to Don’t Get Disrupted Strategy
What is an Inbound Marketing Funnel The tried and tested sales skills that served us well for many years are rapidly becoming obsolete. That is because of factors like customer self-service, artificial intelligence, and as-a-service offerings increasingly become the norm. But what does this mean to our sales process in 2022? Firstly, do not see this shift in the way we perform as professional salespeople as the demise of our trade. Rather, focus on exchanging old behaviours for new ones. That means re-tooling ourselves for the next sales paradigm shift. How do we do that? Here are 4 Ways Power has shifted to the Buyer and what Sales Professionals can do to Adapt.  

1. BETTER INFORMED BUYERS

Online reviews, social media, and the internet has seen buyers come to you with a wealth of information. Buyers now have access to a truckload of data about your product/service and that information simply strengthens their buying power. That means before they even connect with you, buyers already know about your company, competitors, industry, and – even you. Know More, Care More, Do More: How to Listen, Learn, and Engage with the Modern Buyer
What to Do
Update your website! Keep it fresh and informative. It is the first place your buyers will be going to seek information about your organisation. If your site is hard to navigate, appears outdated, or os not mobile friendly, you stand to lose your buyer before they even reach you. A successful website will educate your buyer and make them want to contact you. Additionally, provide your buyer with insider-only information about your industry. Don’t waste their time regurgitating information they can simply find on another site. Rather, share features of your product or service that are not available elsewhere. While your buyer may know a lot, they simply do not know everything that you have to offer. So, with this in mind, branch out your information offerings. Consider the value of ebooks, white papers, and case studies about your industry and your brand. This will provide insider information for your buyer, and also position you as a trusted advisor.  

2. END OF THE FIRST STAGE OF THE SALES PROCESS

Buyers are now bypassing the first stage of the sales process. According to a recent study HubSpot study, 38% of salespeople report that it’s more difficult to get a response from prospects than it was as recently as two or three years ago. But why? Well, because it seems buyers are trying to answer their own questions to save time. And also to minimize contact with salespeople. You see, everyone is busier than ever. Additionally, attention spans are growing shorter by the day. But, despite how busy we all are, we continue to increase our time on social media. The average person spends approximately 2 hours a day on social channels, 60% of it done on mobile devices. How to Build a Sales Process That Rocks the 7 Stages of the Sales Cycle
What to Do
Hang out where your buyers are hanging out. Put simply, focus on improving the quality and frequency of what you publish online. Fundamentally, find the platform your buyers prefer and become a voice for your brand and industry. Additionally, you can share well-researched and valuable blog posts that speak to specific points in your buyers’ journey  

3. BUYERS WANT IT PERSONAL

Buyers want personalised experiences. That is, they want the customised approach from you. Moreover, they want you to understand exactly where they are in their journey. Fundamentally, they want you to already know where they are experiencing pain. And then they want a personally styled solution that’s tailor-made to their issues. Put simply, they want empathy, not a canned pitch. Now, are you ready for a whacky fact? The good old email still works. Buyers are more and more nowadays preferring to communicate via email than the telephone. It is done on their terms and there is a record of the correspondence to refer to later. And want some more good news? Email is a perfect platform for personalisation! Easy to tailor and great to deliver at just the right time. 7 Reasons You Need to Personalize the B2B Buyer Journey
What to Do
Make sure all your emails to your buyers are personalised. That means you will need to understand your buyer’s journey and create customised communication based on their buying behaviour. This will ensure your messaging is connecting directly to the buyer. That is, answering the exact questions they have in that stage of their journey. It’s a powerful tool to be able to deliver the right message at the right time – and you have the power to do that.  

4. BUYERS WANT TO BE ROMANCED

Your buyer will always expect the red carpet treatment long after you have closed the deal. They want to continue to feel valued. And why not? Keep the relationship hot. This will ensure their return. And furthermore, it also means they are more likely to recommend you. That is, stay connected to your buyers post-closing the deal, and they will remember you next time they talk to their friends, family, and wider network about your industry offering. Children help feed food insecure families by building and selling love-inspired yard signs | WJLA
What to Do
When you close a deal with a buyer, do everything in your power keep them wanting more. Additionally, keep the relationship alive in the downtime. That means, checking in on them from time to time with next-level email correspondence. Realise the lifetime value of your buyer. Plus, a buyer who also will be quick to provide you with positive online reviews and testimonials, which is great for repeat business! Remember, you may not hold all the power, but you hold tremendous value as a trusted advisor and strategic partner. The power may have shifted, but there are plenty of opportunities to make a sale if you’re willing to adapt and jump onboard your buyer’s journey. Price Is What You Pay. Value Is What You Get - Warren Buffett" Art Board Print for Sale by InvestorQuotes | Redbubble

Book your Sales Team on their Value Sales Training Workshop. Gather the team and we will take care of the rest.

Call us at KONA on 1300 611 288 for a conversation, or email info@kona.com.au anytime.

 LAURETTE WITH HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY ON IT FOR KONA GROUP SALES TRAINING SALES HEALTH CHECK