Since the economic downturn caused by the global pandemic, marketing and strategy leaders have had to work overtime to regain lost consumers and keep their businesses afloat. Without great sales prospecting tactics, companies can’t maximise their profit, and, in today’s day and age, this could be the difference between success and failure. With this in mind, here are our top 5 sales prospecting trends to watch out for in 2022.
1 – Upticks in creativity and originality
Businesses have always had to get creative to maximise their marketing strategies, but this has never been more important than in today’s world. Companies creating the most buzz around their products and services are breaking the mould, marking themselves as different from others. It’s particularly worrying how many professionals still insist on sticking to old and tired marketing maxims, reaching the same audience with what is essentially a white noise of advertising.
A notable example of how creative marketing can be done well is the now infamous Duolingo owl, whose mascot has taken on a life of its own on social media and in-person appearances. This kind of creativity has given life to their brand as well as some much-needed personality, allowing them and their mascot to become a household name.
2- Social selling
Consumers have become increasingly disillusioned by obvious and ‘in-your-face’ advertising. Social selling allows you to promote your brand without explicitly promoting your brand. For example, if your company is on Twitter and uses it to give out professional advice or to casually interact with consumers, your brand will be promoting itself in the minds of consumers without forcing your products or services down their throats.
However, this must be handled with a careful touch as a badly managed social media account can do as much harm as it can good. Selling socially on purpose is a great tactic, but irresponsible social media use can be catastrophic.
3 – Utilise data and analytics to maximise revenue
It would be disingenuous to say that business analytics are a crystal ball to profits. However, advances in technology and software have allowed them to be more accurate than ever, especially if you put them in the hands of someone experienced. Understanding your company’s performance is key to a successful business, meaning that accurate data is an absolute essential.
In addition, identifying your target market and buyer personas using verified company data prevents your team from chasing the wrong leads. Here are some not so fun stats:
- B2B salespeople who work the entire sales process spend about 40% of their time prospecting for leads
- An SME may spend as much as £48K per annum on the manual processing of data for prospecting purposes
- 70% of the time in Sales is wasted, chasing the wrong prospects
Shocking right?
All the stats above are related to companies not having access to the right solution for prospecting. Learn more about how DataGardener can help you optimise the time you spend on prospecting.
4 – Multi-channel, personalised experiences
The pandemic has pushed forward the buying and selling of goods and services online at record rates. This means that almost every single company is advertising its goods and services online, giving consumers a huge pool of potential options. By providing a multi-channel and personalised shopping experience, you can maximise the chances that a consumer will come across your service or products and ultimately choose you to do business with.
5- Ensure customer satisfaction
Ultimately, all the marketing in the world can’t save a business if it doesn’t provide value to its customers. Traditional means of selling are in decline and backwards when placed in the current climate. Making customers feel valued and convincing them that you product or service can satisfy their needs through sincere and reciprocal conversation is the best way to ensure customers feel satisfied. Take the time to identify the needs of potential clients and provide a tailored experience whilst they purchase your product.
With these 5 sales prospecting trends under your belt, your company should be more than well equipped to tackle any challenges 2022 may offer. By adapting to the business and economic environment of the times, your company should be on its way to a more profitable new year.
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