Sales methodologies for remote teams and virtual selling
In today's world, selling products or services has become an important aspect of every business. However, due to the current pandemic situation, businesses have shifted to remote work and virtual selling. As a result, sales teams must now adapt their processes and methodologies to stay competitive, and achieve their targets. In this article, we will discuss sales methodologies and strategies that can help remote teams succeed in virtual selling.
1. Social Selling
Nowadays, social media has become an essential tool for businesses to promote their products and services. Social selling is all about using social media platforms to build relationships with potential customers and drive sales. Social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook offer an ideal platform to connect with potential customers and build relationships.
Social selling involves identifying the right audience, engaging with them, and establishing trust. The goal is to establish yourself as an industry expert, and to create long-lasting relationships with your customers. By building a strong online presence, your sales team can increase their brand visibility which can lead to more sales opportunities.
2. Account-Based Marketing
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a strategy that concentrates on targeting specific accounts or customers. Instead of focusing on a wide audience, ABM strategies personalize campaigns for specific target accounts. ABM involves researching and understanding the target account’s pain points, needs, and challenges. Once you have a clear understanding of your target accounts, you can create the content and messaging which will resonate with them.
A good ABM plan includes account research, prospect identification, personalized messaging, and engagement tactics. With ABM, your sales team can target key decision-makers within the prospect account, and create a tailored approach that meets the unique needs of each account. This, in turn, can increase the chances of closing deals and generating revenue.
3. Value-Based Selling
Value-Based Selling (VBS) is a methodology that emphasizes the value of your product or service. VBS focuses on selling the value of a solution, rather than the product characteristics. Value-based selling is all about understanding the business challenges that your customers are facing and presenting your solution as the answer to those challenges. The ultimate goal is to establish a relationship with your customer in which you are seen as a trusted advisor, rather than just a vendor.
A VBS approach should begin with research into the customer's business and understanding the unique challenges it faces. This allows your sales team to tailor their messaging to highlight the value of your solution, and how it meets their specific business needs. It is also important to continue to build upon that relationship by providing value-added services that keep your customers engaged and happy.
4. Challenger Selling
Challenger Selling is a methodology that aims to challenge a customer's way of thinking. This is done by presenting them with a new perspective or idea that they may not have considered before. A Challenger salesperson focuses on educating the customer about new ways of thinking, which can help them navigate their challenges more effectively.
Challenger selling involves doing research on competitors, industry trends, and the customer’s pain points to uncover new insights. The goal is to bring new information to the table that customers haven’t yet considered, and ultimately change their way of thinking.
To successfully implement challenger selling, your sales team should have a deep understanding of your prospect’s industry, as well as their specific business challenges. This helps them to offer a unique perspective and solve customer problems in a way that is not yet being offered.
Conclusion
Selling in a virtual environment requires a shift in mindset and approach from traditional sales methodologies. With the right strategies and tactics, any sales team can succeed and achieve their targets. Social selling, account-based marketing, value-based selling, and challenger selling are all highly effective methods that can help your team succeed in virtual selling, and build long-lasting relationships with customers.