Which Sales Strategy Is Right For Your Business?

According to Gartner Research, 75% of B2B buyers prefer a sales process that does not involve reps. In many cases, that makes the traditional sales funnel model inadequate and leads to issues like a high pipeline-to-close ratio (instead of the more conventional 3-4x, it could be as high as 7-8x), losing deals without an apparent reason, and, overall, a lack of trust in the selling organization.

Additionally, studies have shown that about 5% of companies were able to consistently grow sales faster than sales and marketing expenses. These same studies identified common approaches that try to increase commercial productivity that are doomed to failure or, at best, mediocre performance, such as focusing on cost only, which hinders longer-term growth. In other cases, companies rely heavily on the latest sales or marketing software or unproven artificial intelligence tools, then see costs grow without commensurate revenue growth. Others might bake unreasonable productivity gains into their plan with no tangible path to achieve them, which can lead to sales reps missing goals and quitting.

Moreover, Gartner research has previously identified B2B buyers’ sustained reliance on digital channels throughout the purchase journey (such as supplier websites, third-party websites, social media). We’ve monitored the steady evolution of customer preferences’ shift from in-person sales interactions toward digital channels. A recent survey of customer stakeholders found near equal usage of a supplier’s websites versus sales reps to complete the most common buying jobs.

Relatedly, B2B buyers report spending exceedingly little time with sales reps.Only 17% of the total purchase journey is spent in such interactions (see below). Considering the average deal involves multiple suppliers, any given sales rep has roughly 5% of a customer’s total purchase time. Sales leaders lament decreased customer access, but it should come as little surprise considering the improved quality (not to mention quantity) of information available through more objective digital channels. Customers perceive little distinct value (beyond their own learning) from sales rep interactions, resulting in only necessary access being granted.

 Conversely, a self-service digital process can result in high buyer's remorse, a perceived lack of personal assistance and importance from the selling organization, low adoption rates, and, ultimately, high churn. These negative outcomes underscore the need for a more balanced approach.

The ideal sales process involves a hybrid approach in which a prospective client self-manages part of the process while being led by a seller's representative. This workflow produces the highest revenue and YoY retention. 

Buyers see each purchase as an investment in the company's future and well-being. Therefore, beyond identifying and quantifying pain points, choosing champions, and mapping a decision process, the most crucial aspect that a salesperson can evaluate and answer for the prospecting organization is "Is this the right solution for us?" and evaluating, not only the exact space where the product would fit within the organization but specific workflows, stakeholders, drivers, systems and interactions, creates the right value frame and high-quality deals that companies seek.