Remote selling

22
Dec
Generative AI  ·  Remote selling  ·  Sales Acceleration
Embracing Remote Selling in the AI-Powered Era

The pandemic didn’t just redefine our daily lives; it redesigned the structure of B2B sales and highlighted the crucial contributions of remote sales employees, ushering businesses into an era where adaptability and mastery of digital tools have become unavoidable. Remote work has already become a norm for various companies and departments since 2020. To provide a statistic, 63% of working professionals consider remote work the most crucial aspect of their jobs.

Businesses now use technology to connect with clients, showcasing products and services through virtual meetings, thereby breaking down geographical barriers and opening up exciting avenues for sales. Gartner’s Future of Sales research predicts that, by 2025, 80% of B2B sales interactions between suppliers and buyers will occur in digital channels.

Businesses are also realizing the need for leveraging generative AI in their sales and marketing strategies. As organizations adapt to this evolution, the effectiveness of remote selling strategies has proven essential in maintaining client relationships and navigating the complexities of the modern business environment. 

In this article, you’ll get to know about remote selling and its benefits in the evolving world of artificial intelligence, and how to hire and manage remote sales representatives.

What is Remote Selling?

As the name suggests, remote selling is when you sell anything without meeting people face-to-face. Instead of in-person chats, sales representatives use things like video chats, voice calls and emails to connect with customers. It’s a way to sell things to people no matter where they are, all while breaking down distance barriers. 

In remote selling, sales reps can utilize online tools to showcase products and negotiate deals. To ace remote selling, salespeople need to be adaptable, good at talking online, and comfortable using digital tools to connect with customers.

Benefits of Remote Selling in the evolving world of AI

Image by Freepik

The advantages of remote selling go beyond the usual – the ability to reach a global audience, cost and time savings for both businesses and clients, and unparalleled flexibility for sales teams and clients alike. While remote selling offers numerous benefits, below are the top three advantages we believe stand out as champions in the world of artificial intelligence.

  1. Chatbots for Instant Customer Engagement: AI-driven chatbots facilitate instant engagement with potential customers on remote sales platforms. These virtual assistants carry the ability to answer queries, provide information, and guide customers through the sales process in real-time.

Image by Freepik

These bots enhance customer experience and ensure prompt responsiveness, even in the absence of immediate human interaction. However, we can’t deny that not all queries can be resolved by chatbots, and hence it becomes imperative for sales reps to take instant charge for complex queries and core interactions. For instant connection with customers and prospects, it’s important to provide them with a convenient way to get in touch with sales reps. For instance, the Zip Meeting Scheduling widget does a fantastic job at sticking to your website at all times for curious visitors to book one-to-one meetings with sales reps. All done remotely with an advanced tech tool.

2.  Efficient Lead Scoring: AI-powered tools automate the process of lead qualification by analyzing data and identifying promising leads. Sales acceleration tools, such as Zip Smart Meeting Rooms, efficiently perform lead scoring, enabling remote sales teams to concentrate on leads with a higher likelihood of conversion. The result is increased efficiency and a more targeted approach to customer acquisition. We know that perfecting every customer call is never a cakewalk. Primarily, it requires empathy, great listening skills, and personalization.

3.  Rich Insights on Customers and Interactions: AI in remote selling also does a great job at analyzing vast amounts of customer data, providing individual and key insights into buyer behaviors, preferences, and trends.

This data-driven approach allows remote sales employees to tailor their strategies, personalize customer interactions, and offer products or services that align closely with customer needs. Easy-to-employ platforms like Zip Smart Meeting Rooms extract all the necessary data on every customer, empowering remote sales employees with just the right details for making the most out of each customer call.

Technological progression in the sphere of AI has done a stunning job of aiding remote sales reps. The shift to remote sales also impinges on the need to manage and train remote sales reps in new ways.

Managing Remote Sales Reps Better

According to McKinsey’s study, about 75% of buyers and sellers today express a preference for digital self-serve and remote human engagement over face-to-face interactions, and this preference has continued to grow even after the end of lockdowns. This goes on to show that organizations must consider coaching and managing their remote sales reps in a way that fits the approaching digital sales landscape. Implementing strategies that prioritize communication, training, and recognition allows businesses to not only adapt but thrive in the dynamic world of remote sales.

  1. Clear Communication Channels: Businesses should establish transparent and efficient communication channels to keep remote sales teams connected. They should leverage tools like project management software (for eg: Trello and ClickUp),  video conferences, and messaging platforms to ensure real-time updates and quick collaboration.

2.  Regular Virtual Meetings: To ensure everyone on the team is up to date, organizations must conduct regular virtual team meetings to discuss goals, and challenges, and share best practices. This brings up a sense of unity and ensures that everyone is on the same page regarding targets and strategies.

Remember, ‘regular meetings’ could mean daily for some organizations, and weekly or quarterly for others.

3.  Provide Training and Resources: Coaching sales reps in the latest fashion is crucial as it overcomes the hurdle of aligning their skills with contemporary market trends.

The good thing is that there are AI tools, like Zip Score, available to do the job of a sales coach efficiently and in a personalized manner.  Tools like Zip Score keep remote sales employees updated on their individual strengths and weaknesses. It also ensures easy access to resources and support, creating an environment that encourages continuous learning. AI sales training overcomes several downsides of traditional sales training, like a lack of personalized coaching.

4.  Performance Metrics and Recognition: Establishing clear performance metrics and goals allows remote sales professionals to track their progress conveniently. Sales managers must go a step ahead and recognize and celebrate achievements to boost morale and maintain a positive spirit among the sales team. This can be done through virtual awards, shout-outs, or just team-wide acknowledgments over workspace.

It’s important to remember that small praises could go a long way. 

5.  Flexible Work Arrangements: Businesses should start acknowledging the unique challenges of remote work and provide flexibility where possible. They should hire sales reps whom they can trust to manage their schedules effectively while meeting performance expectations. This flexibility not only contributes to a healthier work-life balance but enhances job satisfaction for remote sales employees.

The fusion of remote selling and artificial intelligence is not just a trend; it’s a strategic must for those seeking to excel in the dynamic world of B2B sales.

Image by pikisuperstar on Freepik

by Sanchita


15
Jan
Remote selling  ·  Sales technology  ·  Virtual sales  ·  Virtual selling
5 Best Calendly Alternatives in 2023

Tired of the endless back-and-forth emails to schedule a meeting or event? Look no further than these Calendly Alternatives! With just a few clicks, you can easily schedule appointments and meetings without the hassle of coordinating everyone’s schedules. Say goodbye to the stress and hello to a streamlined workflow.

Let’s explore the top five Calendly alternatives that can help you optimize your scheduling process and boost your productivity:

Acuity Scheduling:

 
Calendly Alternatives

Acuity Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling is a versatile scheduling tool that offers many features and integrations. It allows you to set up online bookings for appointments, classes, and events, and you can customize your availability and appointment types to fit your needs. Acuity also offers a number of integrations with other tools, such as Google Calendar, Zoom, and Salesforce.

Appointy:

 
Calendly Alternatives

Appointy

Appointy is a cloud-based scheduling solution that helps you manage appointments and reservations for your business. It offers a range of features, including online booking, automated email and SMS reminders, and integration with Google Calendar. Appointy also has a number of integrations with popular payment gateways, such as PayPal and Stripe, so you can easily accept payments for your services.

SimplyBook:

Calendly Alternatives

SimplyBook

SimplyBook is a scheduling tool designed specifically for service-based businesses. It offers a range of features, including online booking, automated reminders, and integration with popular payment gateways. SimplyBook also offers a number of integrations with other tools, such as Google Calendar, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp.

Doodle:

Calendly Alternatives

Doodle

Doodle is a scheduling tool that allows you to create polls and send them to others to find the best time for a meeting or event. It’s a simple and easy way to find a time that works for everyone.

Zipme.at by Zipteams:

Calendly Alternatives

Zipteams

Zipme.at by Zipteams is a scheduling and meeting management platform designed to help organizations streamline their scheduling process and improve the efficiency of their meetings. With the Round-Robin feature, meetings are automatically assigned to specific teams or team members based on their area of expertise, allowing organizations to ensure that the right people are involved in each meeting.

Additionally, Zipteams allows organizations to generate personalized meeting links and host meetings in smart meeting rooms with recording and transcription capabilities, which can help improve the quality of customer interactions and provide valuable analytics. Zipteams can be easily embedded on websites and landing pages, making it convenient for clients and stakeholders to schedule appointments with the organization.

Get your own personalized link like zipme.at/zipteams/demo in a click.

Ultimately, the best scheduling tool for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences. Consider the features and integrations offered by each of these alternatives to Calendly, and choose the one that best fits your business.

by Rida


11
Feb
B2B Sales  ·  Remote selling  ·  Sales  ·  Virtual selling
The Evolving Space of B2B Sales Post Pandemic

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic compelled B2B buyers and sellers to go completely digital. What began as a crisis response has evolved into the new normal, with significant consequences for how buyers and sellers conduct business in the future.

Ninety-six percent of B2B sales teams have moved to a partially or entirely remote work environment. The remote model is considered more effective by 65 percent of B2B decision-makers than the manner of doing business before the pandemic. And economies such as India and China have led to this tremendous shift in scale.

Ways in which B2B sales have changed post-pandemic

The emergence of Virtual Selling

Although COVID continues to harm world health and economical production. It has helped establish the virtual environment as the preferred selling and conducting business. Furthermore, 65% of decision-makers say the new B2B sales remote-friendly workplace is as effective as or better than the pre-pandemic atmosphere.

Because it’s easier to plan meetings and persuade a prospect to agree to an appointment, distant post-COVID sales are more effective. There’s not much a prospect needs to do to prepare for a virtual meeting. And there’s no risk of virus transmission. As a result, you’ll be able to schedule more sales meetings and convert more prospects into the next sales funnel stage.

B2B Customers Now Prefer Mobile Sales & Service Options

Interesting research points to a shift in customer preferences in the B2B arena. Since the pandemic, for example, there has been a 30 percent preferred rise in using mobile apps to place orders and a 250 percent total increase in mobile ordering. B2B clients, like consumers, have grown accustomed to utilizing smartphones and tablets for basic purchasing and service needs.

Many customer relationship management (CRM) software solutions allow you to manage mobile-friendly sales campaigns straight from the CRM system or via connectors. You may appeal to mobile users by ensuring sure your website is mobile-friendly. So they can read and browse your site without needing to be on a desktop computer, in addition to using text and email marketing as part of a good sales plan.

More B2B Sellers Are Tapping Social Media for Customer Insights

As a result of the instability in B2B sales induced by COVID-19, more B2B enterprises are now adopting social media to understand their customers’ wants and needs better. Forty-eight per cent of B2B executives say they use social media monitoring for insights, making it the second-largest means of obtaining data, trailing only 50 per cent of B2B executives who say they use sales teams to get feedback.

New tools and technologies have emerged.

Online shopping has gained momentum, and even B2B buyers are now shopping all the raw materials and parts online. In different parts of the world, even robot deliveries have emerged. All of these are getting supported by a robust logistics system. Digital and contactless payments have also emerged in the B2B space and are rapidly becoming a norm of the industry. Tele transactions are also increasingly becoming popular as the personal touch is decreasing. Technologies such as Big Data are also finding their way into the Business-to-Business space, and several companies are now using them to optimize the production of goods.

Relationship building is made easier across geographies.

With tools like predictive analysis and the usage of AI and ML, human interactions have become much more straightforward. Businesses can now get into contracts with other companies from different parts of the world. The pandemic has aided remote technologies that have brought the world much closer than before. These have made geographical boundaries smaller and now leading to stronger relationships between the buyers and the sellers.

Conclusion

For B2B firms, post-COVID sales trends have an impact on everything from the software they need to utilize to the methods and tools they need to improve and facilitate the customer experience. Your firm can turn what appears to be a protracted period of uncertainty into a tremendous chance to drive business growth if you have the correct information, tools, and adaptability.

by Ramya S