We have been saying this for a while, and now the numbers are in. Research from McKinsey shows that 94% of B2B decision makers say the hybrid sales model -combining in person, video call, online chat, etc.- is equally or more effective than the traditional sales model -mostly in-person meetings- from before the pandemic. It seems that buyers had been waiting for some time for sellers to offer more alternatives than face to face meetings.
This is great news for sales teams, there’s much to gain from a hybrid selling (or buying model). We can now do business with clients that were out of reach before, we can save time and money holding meetings remotely, we can bring into meeting technical or support people that help the client in their buying process, and so on.
However, hybrid selling requires a different set of skills from those of traditional selling. That is why so many businesses are training their sales and service teams in these capabilities. Yes, there is an overlap of skills between selling face-to-face and remotely, but there are a range of different skills particular to remote selling that salespeople – even the most seasoned and successful- need to learn, develop, and adapt to. For example, how to get and maintain their prospects or customers’ attention in a video call, present physical products effectively, or how to adjust their presence and body language to the small visual frame they will be visible in. They also have to learn to discern what meetings can be held remotely, which ones in person, and what meetings are better really a phone call.
Another critical aspect for the success of this model is training sales leaders to coach hybrid selling teams. Having a team of salespeople skilled in hybrid selling with no one able to coach them is not going to get them far. We need to make sure our sales leaders are skilled up too and can coach our sales team so that their new skills are embedded and improving over time.
Contact us to learn more about training programs for hybrid sales.
Remember, everybody lives by selling something.
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