Immediately after the announcement that the Australian video company Clipchamp had been acquired by Microsoft, the company’s product manager Anna Ji (pictured) gave her advice on using videos in sales.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced B2B buyers and sellers to turn to the digital in enormous – and unexpected – ways.
As the borders were closed and the ability to rely on human interaction to connect with new customers was effectively put on hold, companies have been trying to find new and creative ways to find customers – and them to involve.
However, what began as a crisis response is evolving into the next normal with a major impact on the future business of buyers and sellers. B2B sales leaders are moving from the “forced” adoption of digitization in response to widespread closures in the early stages of COVID-19 to a growing belief that digitization is the way to go.
Over the next several years, here are a few ways companies can update their lead generation strategies as we move to a new way of working.
Accept the new way of doing business
One of the first things any leadership team should do is accept that things have changed.
According to McKinsey data, more than 75 percent of buyers and sellers say they now prefer digital self-service and remote human engagement over face-to-face interactions, a sentiment that has strengthened even after the lockdown ended.
Self-service and remote interactions have made it easier for shoppers to get information, place orders, and arrange services, and customers have enjoyed that speed and convenience.
So how is a B2B salesperson supposed to find new customers if the customers don’t want to go back to the old way of doing business?
Clever use of videos is one solution. Since the pandemic, video and live chat have become the predominant channels for engaging and completing sales with B2B customers, and McKinsey statistics show it: e-commerce and video conferencing now account for 43 percent of all B2B sales (more than anyone else). other channel) make it clear to customers that when given the choice, they prefer video to phone.
It’s also time to really invest in a well-designed video marketing strategy that will appeal to your audience and win their trust and business.
And before you panic, remember that you don’t have to be a born salesperson to be the best at the job: just keep a few key tips in mind, such as storytelling (customers want to know your company’s story) and what inspires the products you sell); Focus on addressing customers’ needs in your video by suggesting how your product, service, or business will help them; and understanding how to effectively use an entire digital ecosystem in addition to video will take you far.
As we are all going through massive changes, this is a good time to invest in skills that will prove to be most useful in future business relationships.
Dwindling team size
Another thing to consider is that your team may have suffered during this time. Maybe some have been laid off, others have quit, or most have started working remotely, which is changing the dynamic.
In this case, learning to use virtual collaboration tools has never been better. Not only can they save you a lot of time when well thought out and organized, but they can also help you ease the transition from mostly personal interactions to digital communication.
Retraining and education are part of this new journey, and understanding the resources and gaps your sales team has is a great way to invest in future sales techniques.
It can also be a good time to step back and think about what new content you can create – or maybe redesign old content so that it is suitable for a new way of promoting. Ultimately, B2B sales managers need to create content that the industry can bring to market, such as:
Align the right channels
Now that your reps are highly skilled, it’s time to focus their time and energy on channels that your prospects are actually on, rather than encouraging them to aimlessly chat with clients or prospects through Zoom or Teams.
Yes, warmth and interpersonal skills certainly help, but they alone won’t close the sale. To make a splash in the business world, encourage your sales reps to become thought leaders by contributing to digital conversations in engaging, nuanced, and data-driven ways on platforms where they actually are: mostly on LinkedIn and Twitter.
A great way to do this is to use videos to share your thoughts and expert opinions. It doesn’t have to be long and complicated: all you need to create a great business video is clarity about what to add to a conversation. For example, instead of writing a long piece of text, a concise video with a clearly defined topic and points is a great way to present thoughts clearly and confidently.
If you’re new to this field, it’s a good idea to write a script: not only is it a safety tool in case you forget a point, but it also helps you read ahead and be sure that your arguments flow together.
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