The Silent Threats Undermining B2B Sales: Tech Overload and the Remote Work Dilemma

Are you struggling to hit your sales goals despite using the latest technology and remote work strategies? Despite all the fancy tech and remote setups, you’ve been sold a good deal. Here’s why your B2B sales efforts might be falling short.

The Downsides of Technology Reliance in B2B Sales

Over the past three decades, business organizations have evolved at the constant pace of technology. The promise of the technology stack has been described as efficiency. But after decades of supposed improvements in efficiency, salespeople are facing some of the worst numbers ever recorded. In this respect, technology efficiency has proven to be a major problem in B2B sales. While win rates, quota attainment, and blocked deals continue to trend in the wrong direction, the only KPI that is improving is pipeline coverage. You have a full tank of gas in a car with no tires.

Data-Driven Sales: Why More Isn’t Always Better

We were promised that a data-driven sales process would lead to better results, but it doesn’t. You can walk into a sales manager’s office and find data on the number of phone calls (an activity) and meetings booked, but that doesn’t give you the full picture of how a sales team is performing. Much of that data is noise because it can’t tell you anything about how effective your sales team is at doing their job. Unless you use that data to create meaningful engagement, you can’t fully understand what you need to do. Looking at the scoreboard doesn’t mean you and your team are winning the game.

The Myth of Quota Coverage: Why 10X Strategies Aren’t Enough

Over the past decade, we’ve relied on the strategy of 2x, 4x, or even 10x quota, and some sales organizations have implemented what might be called a “fortress pipeline.” Despite this approach, too few sales reps are reaching their quota. It turns out that this strategy isn’t delivering the results it was intended to, either. Too much quantity can’t compensate for poor quality.

The lasting impact of the pandemic on sales

For the past four years, we’ve been selling as if the pandemic is still here. Experts suggest it will still be here, but in a less intense form than we’ve known. We sit in front of a screen for hours, and when we step away from that screen, we pick up another one. Instead of sitting with our customers and those who could be customers, we choose to stare at a screen that separates us from each other.

This is often the case even if the client is in the same city. During the pandemic, this has become the norm, but it turns out that many clients prefer video meetings, making it harder to engage in a face-to-face meeting. True influence and persuasion is best achieved when you look your client in the eye.

The Hidden Costs of Remote Work: The Decline of Tribal Business Knowledge

Many salespeople work from home instead of going to the office. This strategy assumes that the salesperson lives in their territory, making it easy for them to travel to meet with customers. However, this strategy has a drawback that works against experienced salespeople and, in particular, young salespeople. Some may not know what a sales floor is or how it improves sales force effectiveness.

When multiple salespeople work in the same location, you know how others set initial appointments and how top salespeople close deals. When salespeople work from home, they miss out on the tribal knowledge that would accelerate their results. This can significantly slow their growth and effectiveness.

The Velocity Myth: Why Inaction, Not Time, Kills Business

For as long as I can remember, sales managers have always been looking for speed. You may be familiar with the old saying Time kills business. First, know that time doesn’t kill business, but time without activity will. In times when our customers are afraid to make a decision, speed is not your friend. If you can’t provide your customer with the confidence and certainty they need, your chances of winning their business are virtually nil. There is a difference between speed and urgency. Urgency is better than velocity.

Why Clients Reject Second Dates: Root Causes and Solutions

In the last year, no fewer than five companies have admitted that they are unable to secure a second appointment. The only reason a customer declines a second appointment is because the salesperson failed to create value for them in the first one. This is usually evident within the first five minutes of a sales call. There are a number of possible root causes for why a second appointment is not possible: insufficient training, lack of value-add, or weak sales methodology or approach.

You would hope that the vendor’s sales manager would join his reps to find out what they need to change to get a second meeting. Ultimately, you need to provide clear value in the first meeting if you want a second meeting.

The decline of human relations in sales: a warning signal

All of the threats to B2B sales also seem to be leading to a decline in human connections. Some of us value our relationships above all else. Others become detached from what’s most important, like relationships. In sales, this also means neglecting your role in solving the customer’s problems and providing the advice, guidance, and recommendations needed to make them successful. This decline in human connections should be a warning sign that we’re losing sight of what drives success: trust, value, and connection.

Do a good job and see you tomorrow!