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Q&A: Why virtual video calls will be key to sales success (Includes interview)

The SalesLoft survey also found that both buyers and sellers spend a lot of time in sales meetings: a majority — about 62 percent — have at least three sales meeting each week, while 8 percent of buyers and 14 percent of sellers have 10 or more. The survey also asked why most sales meetings provide no value, with buyers listing meetings being too long; sales reps being too pushy; and buyers prefer email follow ups, being cited as the key factors.

This means a new approach is needed. To discover more, Digiutal Journal spoke with Kyle Porter, SalesLoft CEO SalesLoft is a leading sales engagement platform, helping sales organizations to deliver a better sales experience for their customers.

Digital Journal: How has sales changed in the past five years?

Kyle Porter: Over the past five years, sales organizations have been investing in technology, enablement programs, and other inward facing execution efforts. Despite these investments, sales results are declining, year on year percentage of reps who are hitting their quota is down and even more alarming is the amount of time reps are spending with customers is declining.

Meanwhile, as these sales organizations have been facing inward, how buyers are buying is changing at a faster rate the other direction. As more noise gets created by insincere outreach efforts, buyers have been delighted by sales organizations who realize this moment of engagement can be differentiated by the experience provided. With 53 percent of customer loyalty measured on the initial sales experience puts tremendous risk on revenue certainty for today’s sales leadership.

Today’s buyers have complex needs and only thoughtful solutions can solve them. Buyers are demanding a new type of seller: one approaching with authenticity value first sincerity and deep levels of understanding. As the business world goes through digital transformation sellers that are taking this New Age approach will be the ones to succeed.

A meeting  with interactive display and conferencing facilities.

A meeting, with interactive display and conferencing facilities.

DJ: How have digital technologies altered the sales process?

Porter: These are exciting times to be a seller. For sales organizations who recognize the opportunity to be more authentic, they are adopting technology to replicate and scale best practices across their team. They are using meeting intelligence to “bump the curve” of sellers who understand the sincerity of selling but can benefit from the science of leveraging irresistible digital technologies in their sales process.

DJ: With the headline outcome form the survey being about video ales calls, why are virtual video calls becoming more popular?

Porter: There’s a trend in sales to move towards more of an inside model. The irony however is that inside sales is now face-to-face due to the prevalence of video. In addition to the technology advancements to make the experience better and easier to use, video enables sellers and buyers to engage in a more sincere and authentic way. Video combines the science and art of sales!

DJ: How good is technology for this purpose?

Porter: Sales engagement and associated technology has become key for the sales industry. Primarily because it facilitates human interaction, an understanding of what the buyer wants and needs, and the ability to untap information from each sales engagement from lead to renewal.

DJ: How have you adapted to this trend?

Porter: SalesLoft has been keenly focused on solving this problem throughout the sales process by expanding our platform to include technology like Meeting Intelligence. Meeting Intelligence will impact the sales process, like what cadences did for setting meetings. Meeting Intelligence records and captures every important moment of a sales meeting.

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Written By

Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news. Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.

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