A new year means looking ahead to future trends and making sure your sales strategies evolve as well. Being aware of potential opportunities, and proactively adjusting, ensures you are positioned for sales success. Writing for HubSpot, Erin Rodrigue shares several tips for sales people wanting to get a jump on where the industry is headed. 

“While these changes seem daunting at first, they also signal new opportunities to innovate, grow, and adapt,” she writes. “Staying adaptable and resourceful is key.”

3 Tips For Sales Going Into A New Year

To gather insights, Rodrigue spoke with various sales professionals. One of the suggestions she heard involved finding a balance when it comes to using AI. As more sellers embrace automation, it’s important to understand when to use it.

Sellers need to take advantage of AI but also know when it isn’t the best choice. “While AI can handle email blasts and automated calls, it lacks the depth for meaningful, face-​to-​face interactions,” writes Elijah Clark for Forbes. “An AI can't visit you at home, extend a handshake or offer a reassuring look that conveys sincerity.”

Rodrigue notes that the best strategy is to ask yourself, “What can I do that a computer can’t?” Use this approach when determining when to use AI in sales. Automate items that will boost productivity and save time, but leave personal touches for tasks that contribute to relationship building. Specifically, times when soft skills come into play.

Be thoughtful in your approach and view working with AI as a collaborative experience. As Clark notes, “The rise of AI in sales is revolutionary and not an existential threat to human sales representatives. Instead, it's an opportunity—a tool that, when used wisely, can augment the human skills of empathy and connection.”

Embrace Content

Another one of the tips for sales that Rodrigue discusses is integrating more content into your sales strategy. Content is increasingly important to buyers, and sellers have an opportunity to deliver. 

Today’s buyers are eager for information. They also don’t have the patience to deal with pushy or aggressive sales tactics. This is where content comes into play. 

Case studies are an excellent way to inform buyers, showcase your solution and demonstrate credibility. And buyers want this type of content. SalesFuel’s research found that 25% of buyers are willing to give their personal information to sellers in exchange for case studies and success stories.

Just be thoughtful with how much you share and when. As Rodrigue advises, “Of course, you never want to overwhelm prospects with information, so it's important to be intentional here.” 

For guidance on how to use content to win new business, take a look at these tips. 

Do Even More Social Selling

Sellers are increasingly comfortable with social selling. Now, though, it’s time to ramp up those efforts. 

75% of B2B buyers use social media to guide their buying decision, Saphia Lanier, writing for Influencer Marketing Hub, reports. And once again, SalesFuel’s own research supports this advice: When researching a purchase, buyers consult social media postings by the company, as well as others’ social comments and reviews.

There’s so much opportunity out there for sellers who engage in social selling. Dedicating efforts to improving your postings, and amping up the frequency, will pay off. 

“The more touch points you make, the more opportunities you have to attract leads and establish trust,” Rodrigue writes. “On top of that, having a presence on social media naturally opens the door to thought leadership, which is another avenue for building trust.”

Start Now For Success Throughout the Year

A new year is the perfect time to integrate these tips for sales into your strategy. By being proactive now, you set yourself up for increased sales and strong relationships while others are left behind. 

Photo by Christina Morillo