Have You Tested the Buyer's Journey Your Clients Take?

BY Jessica Helinski
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To stay competitive, salespeople must be willing to adapt to the changing buyer, who is more connected than ever. Likely, you will come across more prospects who have done their research, are informed and demand excellence. “The way customers buy is changing more than ever before, and because of that we must evolve our approach to sales, writes Tiffani Bova in an article for Huffington Post. Global customer growth and innovation evangelist at Salesforce, Bova spent more than 25 years in the industry and shares six tips to help reps meet modern demands. For example, she presents this fresh take on how to approach sales:

Make B2B sales more like B2C.

This tip may raise some eyebrows, but Bova believes it’s a necessary step for success. Today’s buyer is accustomed to the ease, speed, and convenience of B2C purchases. This is driving them to seek the same when purchasing business products or services. “Many in B2B sales are trying to replicate a consumer’s buying experience in the business context to make the transaction much more engaging and seamless,” she writes. She cites a SalesForce survey that found 80% of business buyers expect companies to react and respond to them in real time. Does your current sales process allow for this? What is is the buyer’s journey like with your company?

Bova suggests going through the motions yourself. “Buy” a product or service from your own company, then ask yourself: Was the process easy to navigate? Intuitive? Compelling? Compare the buying experience with one from a brand you enjoy, and identify the gaps. “Adjust what you can with processes, reconsider the way in which technology supports the sales cycle, and use customer experience as a competitive weapon, not something you measure in customer-​satisfaction scores,” she writes.

Check out her other tips to make sure you’re ready to meet the demands of today’s buyers.


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