The Buying Process Has Changed – Can You Adapt?

Let’s face it, buyers today are more empowered than ever before. These “super” buyers can track down vendor and product information on their own time, and so now salespeople are not being brought into the buying process until two-thirds of the way through. There are a countless number of sources available today for consumers to compare prices, services, reviews, and virtually any other information they would want to find. This presents a challenge for those sales reps who have not yet adapted their selling processes to meet these rapidly changing demands.

“With buyers now controlling the majority of the front end of the sales process, sellers much learn to facilitate a buying process – not a sales process” said by Colleen Francis, founder of Engaged Selling Solutions. It is important to keep this in mind as you develop your sales processes. Buyers don’t want to be sold to; buyers want to buy and be more in control so they no longer need to depend on sales reps. Today, consumers are already 57% of the way through their decision making process before they even reach out to your sales team. When they are making more complex purchases, this number jumps to 70%.

Stay a part of social conversations and be able to pick up on trends and other digital signals given off by consumers. You can pick up on when customers are dissatisfied or just need more information on a topic and use that as an opportunity to engage your selling process.

Overall, you need to keep in mind that buyers do not want to be sold to. They want to buy on their own time and in the way that is most convenient for them. Always be on the look-out for digital signals and trends so you can engage prospects in a way that they are most likely to respond.

Learn more techniques for adapting to the new buying behavior in this ebook:  Always Be Closing – The ABCs of Sales in the Modern Era