The new way of the sales process is in the hands of buyers. By the time the buyer reaches your website to make a purchase they have done their homework about the product.
Advances in technology has changed consumer behaviour in the last two decades. A wealth of information is now available online to savvy consumers, who extensively research before making an informed decision to buy.
Buyers rely on search, vendor websites, and emails to find information
The buyer starts with online search, websites, and newsletters/emails as their top channels to find information. Once they’re ready to buy, they opt to connect with a sales representative or hop online to purchase from the website.
Research shows that 30% of buyers want the opportunity to see a product in action early on. They want a visual understanding of what they’re potentially purchasing, and they want it right away.
How can you as a business meet this new expectation around demos? An easy solution could be a video demo that is clearly visible on your website. This will can satisfy the buyer’s needs and has the potential to be a useful tool for businesses that have products that require demonstrations.
Buyers want to know the pricing and how the product works early on
As buyers conduct a lot of advanced research, they feel confident in their product knowledge and have specific expectations before making a purchase. The goals of buyers and sellers are at odds during the first sales call
If we compare buyer expectations against what sales cover, we see a Sales needs to meet buyer expectations to create a positive experience. There’s little chance of the buyer changing their expectations, so the responsibility falls on to adapt.
Buyers want to connect with sales after they’ve done research
Research Shows that the buyers journey starts online with a search engine, visits the vendor’s website reads about the products & services. If there is a demo video the buyer consumes that to understand more about the product. The buyer will also read emails, newsletters and blog posts of the product.
At this point the buyer is ready to speak with the sales person. The buyer has enough knowledge about the. The sales person’s role is to provide more information that the buyer is not aware of – like a value added service or a tool that comes with the product or service. When this instance is done seamlessly the buyer commits and makes a purchase.
Is your company’s online presence helping the buyer of your products and services in making the right decisions on their buying journey? We can partner with you and help you get there. Contact us and we will come back to you with a detailed plan for your online strategy. Email me on gita@pixels.net.nz.
