The Hottest Sales Trends of 2013

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The Hottest Sales Trends of 2013 by InsideView

Our world is flatter than ever before. Technology has changed the way we communicate and create. It has altered how we work, on what we work, and even where we work. Of course, sales and marketing aren't immune to these changes. Technological innovations have disrupted the way sales departments collect data and target customers. Helped by CRM and automation software, along with better targeting and social media driven insight, sales departments have witnessed a complete overhaul in the way sales are conducted.
Stepping into 2013, sales departments will have to overcome new challenges and hurdles if they are to stay competent. Below, we take a look at three selling trends sales departments must embrace in 2013:
1. Focus on Numbers
Sales in 2013 will have to become even more data-centric if it is to make a real impact on company revenues. Alec Baldwin's legendary Glengarry Glen Ross speech harkens back to a time when outstanding salespeople could get by through a mix of guts, gumption and glib talking. That era is long past in our present near 'zero-growth' world in which companies have to work harder than ever to woo new customers and retain existing ones. Today, salespeople need to be part data analysts who obsess over critical business measures (since you can't possibly improve what you can't measure). The "Shotgun" approach of spreading a sales message to as wide an audience as possible is no longer effective. Rather, salespeople need to carefully comb through gathered data and employ lead qualification techniques to spot leads with the highest possible returns. 2013 is the year when pre-call research finally becomes as important as the call itself.
2. Make it Personal
Consumers today demand personalization. Generic, one-size-fits-all solutions could have been attractive a decade back, but the mobile-first generation is accustomed to being able to fine-tune its shopping experience. This customization has leaked in to the B2B world. The individuals that prefer custom personal shopping experiences expect the same in the office. If sales departments are to lure these buyers, they will have to create thoroughly personalized experiences. This can range from personalized offerings to personalized discounts and offers on a customer's preferred line of products. Fortunately, a plethora of data from social sources has made it possible for sales departments to identify consumer characteristics; it's much easier to offer your clients exactly what they want when you accurately uncover exactly what they want. Combined with sales intelligence and appropriate outbound research, customization has the potential to dramatically alter your sales team's performance.
3. Embrace the New
It is no secret that the yield from long-standing sales strategies such as PPC (pay per click) and SEO  (search engine optimization) is drying up. PPC's intense competition and the resultant price rise has diminished returns, while SEO is an increasingly unstable strategy for making sales in light of the recent Google algorithm updates and the recently learned ability of just about anyone with the right resources to game the SEO system. Instead of betting on these worn-out horses, salespeople need to embrace new sales strategies (such as Twitter's new 'Advertising Card' lead generation tool). These include social media marketing, video marketing, etc. which yield more leads at lower costs.