There is a very real threat to your business that is already creeping inside the walls of your operation, and you might already be seeing signs of the problem (falling sales, lower sales person effectiveness, terrible sales conversion rates).
If any of these symptoms sound vaguely familiar, then you might be just in time to save the day. There has been a major change in buyer behavior over the past few years, and most sales leaders have not trained the sales staff to handle this change. In fact, most sales managers have not been trained either.
Buyers are now choosing to perform some research on the internet before they contact your sales people. While this might be no big surprise to you, have you ever considered the impact that this new customer mentality and preparedness is having on the sales force?
Typically, most sales people have used the telephone, direct mail, and the face to face appointment to begin the selling process. It is how most of the sales people have been trained and it is how most of them are still trying to sell your products and services. Unfortunately, this no longer works for the consumer.
Today’s buyer is on the internet doing research, and if you have a superior content marketing system, then they are getting a first glimpse at your products and services there. And these prospective customers want to continue the process on the internet, but sales people are still more comfortable using a telephone than email and online forms.
Nobody can afford to ignore the preferences of the today’s consumer if they want to reverse the Internet Squeeze effect on an organization. All sales managers and sales people need to be trained in effective written communications techniques if your company is going to soar above the competition.
The customer wants answers, and they will not wait around very long to get them. They have come to know that the answer is out there, they just have to find it. Will your company be the one ready to provide it to them, on their schedule?
Joe Manausa writes about how company’s are ignoring online customers at the Internet Squeeze, a consultative blog for brick and mortar businesses seeking to evolve to a modern internet model.
