Is this the end of the salesperson? Is the future of sales going digital? Research indicates that in three years, 80% of B2B interactions will be conducted through digital channels. The future of sales, as highlighted by sales speaker, suggests that customers increasingly seek digital and self-service channels.
Many changes have been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Among them is digitalization, which is becoming more and more prevalent. If, before March 2020, many people were still hesitant about making online purchases, after that date, with the need for isolation and social distancing, it ceased to be a mere option and became a rule. And this path is irreversible, meaning that companies and salespeople must hurry to adapt to this trend. And not just in B2C sales (business to consumer). Is it the end of the salesperson as we know it? Will the future of sales be digital, without face-to-face meetings, without handshakes?
According to a Gartner study, B2B sales (Business to Business, i.e., from company to company) are expected to become increasingly digital. To give you an idea, in the Gartner Future Of Sales 2025 report, they predict that by 2025, 80% of interactions between suppliers and customers will take place through digital channels.
With this prediction, the only solution for Chief Sales Officers (CSOs) and other leadership positions in the field is to accept this new reality and adapt to serving a customer who is increasingly reluctant to interact in person, with much less face-to-face contact. Moreover, there is a need to be available to sell through any channel the customer wishes to use. Investing in understanding all platforms and having efficient digital investing marketing will no longer be a differentiator; it will be the rule, read more about here.
But is it the end of the salesperson as we know it? Are sales representatives, lab representatives, and real estate brokers on the verge of extinction with numbered days? Will these roles make it onto the list of professions that will cease to exist? That’s what I intend to address in this article. But rest assured. The situation is unlike anything we’ve seen before, but the customer is at the center. The market has changed and will continue in this direction of change. According to research, the future of sales will shift towards a buyer-centric vision rather than a seller-centric one. While customers known as baby boomers (born between the 1940s and 1960s) will retire, millennials (born from the 1980s to the mid-1990s) are becoming the primary decision-makers. This generation, the first to grow up with the internet, the so-called digital natives, tend to increasingly opt for virtual transactions. It’s a trend for this audience to have less and less face-to-face contact with salespeople. The Gartner Future Of Sales 2025 report shows that: They spend only 17% of their time in personal interaction with sales representatives. Unlike previous generations, they are highly skeptical of salespeople. How to deal with this trend.
With this change set to occur over the next five years, B2B sellers need to prepare to survive in the market. With the growth of digital channels and the subsequent decline in traditional methods, the report predicts that 60% of companies will transition to data-driven sales rather than relying on intuition and experience. Sales processes, applications, data, and analysis will become one. Four points require special attention: The aforementioned change in the audience’s profile, as they no longer have as much interest in dealing with sales representatives and prefer digital self-service channels; Consumers tend to compare the experience they have on B2C digital platforms (Business to Consumer, or from Business to Customer), which seem more user-friendly and informative, with B2B. And they want the same type of service. In other words, companies that invest in customer success, in helping them conclude their negotiations in the best way, will have an advantage; 44% of millennials prefer not to have contact with a representative in the virtual experience.
With more digital purchases, more buyer data will be available. Behavior, product usage patterns, digital activity, all of this is becoming increasingly just a click away each day. Few companies know how to leverage this, so investing in machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) systems is necessary. Adaptability is the future of sales. The future of the sales field is characterized by high adaptability, with constant changes in strategies, processes, and resource allocation. The trend is to move away from the analog and from a profile that relies purely on guesswork to a highly automated system, with the implementation of tools that automate and enhance processes. It is crucial for B2B companies operating in the virtual realm to have digital scalability, meaning the ability to support demand growth without sacrificing quality. This can be achieved through digital tools and new skills to transform traditional salespeople into digital specialists.
The use of automation and artificial intelligence is inevitable for business success in a complete shift from the analog model. Decision-making becomes automated, based on algorithms, to align sales processes, channels, and the capabilities of salespeople with the needs of consumers. CSOs with a focus on sales, not on salespeople. Sales directors (CSOs) should become sales leaders, not just salespeople. According to Gartner, companies should shift their focus away from professionals as the primary commercial channel and move towards digital channels. In this way, the decisions made by salespeople will be based on data, data analysis, and AI, rather than on experience or intuition. To achieve this, four key points are important, and salespeople who focus on them will perform better. First, being prepared to serve the everywhere client, i.e., the customer who seeks products through different digital channels. Second, focusing on helping buyer groups trust their decisions more, as it is increasingly challenging to influence them in this scenario. Third, it’s essential to enhance the digital skills of salespeople so they can sell through digital channels and adapt dynamically to changes. Fourth, creating a sales plan with an increasingly future-oriented perspective. Investing in technology to support the highly automated environment, using AI to perform basic processes, detect buying signals, and predict negotiation scenarios. The salesperson of the future will play a more analytical role (data analysis), proposing even more precise solutions tailored to the real needs of the customer. Conclusion on the future of sales.
Doing today what was done in the past in the daily sales routine is no longer effective. The world has changed, generations think and act differently, and technology has evolved and will continue to do so. Therefore, companies and sales professionals must keep up with this trend to remain relevant, with a strong emphasis on AI for sales. We are in the midst of technological and behavioral changes in sales like never before, and in such a short time, we’ve witnessed an unprecedented convergence of technology in the commercial and data analysis processes.
The future of sales and sales professionals requires an urgent (and immediate) need to understand and adapt to this movement. In my sales lectures and training sessions, I have paid special attention to this topic, just as I have advised numerous companies in transitioning from an analog mindset to a digital one with my sales consultancy.
Over the years, e-commerce has grown rapidly and transformed consumption habits around the world. This growth has been further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced people to stay at home, making online shopping the preferred option. However, with so many new technologies and advancements in the industry, e-commerce itself has undergone significant transformations. And certainly, this is just the beginning. Here, we’ve outlined some of the key e-commerce trends for the coming years. Some are already part of our daily lives but will strengthen further. Others are close to becoming a reality, and there are those that will likely need more time to establish themselves, so it’s a good idea to prepare.
So, let’s explore these trends and discover the future of e-commerce in the coming years. E-commerce is expanding rapidly as the world increasingly shifts towards a digital-first culture, driven by the growing demand for convenience among consumers. Recent reports from Statista show this upward growth trend, revealing that global e-commerce sales will reach $6.3 trillion by 2023. The adoption of new technologies, personalization, policy evolution, and resources with connected artificial intelligence have taken hold in e-commerce. Moreover, you can now combine online and offline sales procedures to make the most of both channels.
Only e-commerce websites that are agile and savvy enough to capitalize on the latest global industry trends can survive and thrive in the coming years.
Future of e-commerce for online retailers:
New marketing channels will emerge. In recent years, there have been advancements in various areas of e-commerce marketing, including a new mix of channels.
New payment options. Emerging payment options will gain strength in 2023, with traditional payment methods giving way to digital solutions, driving evolution in the online payment sector. E-commerce will also evolve due to these new payment options, as customers can now make faster and easier payments when shopping online.
Increased use of AI in e-commerce. E-commerce has taken the business perspective to the next level with the help of artificial intelligence. By integrating AI technology into your business, you can more efficiently analyze store data and buyer behavior.
Personalization will delight customers. Everyone now expects a personalized experience, regardless of the technology they are currently using. When Netflix was launched, for example, we expected to see content they thought we would like to watch. Customers now expect the same level of personalization when shopping online.
Smoother online shopping experiences. Optimizing the online shopping experience is crucial: the faster your checkout experience, the better your customer retention figures will be.
Customer retention will be crucial for success. Another important trend in e-commerce in 2023 will be companies focused on building relationships with new and existing customers. Why? Because becoming more customer-centric and retaining them can help you achieve long-term success.
In addition to technological advancements, mobile device penetration, and user buying behavior, the growth of e-commerce has been driven by convenience, a wider product selection, better shipping options, social media, and the increased use of digital payment methods. These factors have made it easier for consumers to shop online and have contributed to the rapid expansion of the e-commerce market.
For retailers with a robust e-commerce platform, the transition to online shopping is a blessing. However, for those who still need to accommodate hybrid shopping practices, competing will become a critical mission in 2023. Ultimately, I believe the coming year will be a balancing act for retailers who need to create agile inventory and merchandising plans that support the increase in online shopping as well as the need to maintain physical stores.
