Sales Trend 10 of the Barrett 12 Sales Trends Report for 2023 is about the importance of designing human-centred buying-selling-servicing processes.
In 30 seconds
Buying-selling-servicing processes are the collection of interactions that take place between buyers and sellers. In B2B, these processes often lack structure, relying on personalities rather than procedures, risking client retention. B2C giants prioritise digital channels, often neglecting the customer experience.
To address these issues, businesses are embracing human-centred engagement and design. They seek to create less stressful, more meaningful interactions that consider ease and meaning for customers. The Net Easy Score (NES) measures interaction simplicity, while human-centred design focuses on understanding people’s needs and motivations.
These approaches shift away from rigid processes, emphasising human interactions, and balancing digital and in-person engagement.
In 3 minutes
Buying-selling-servicing processes are a collection of steps, actions, behaviours, habits, and rituals centred around the interactions during these processes.
Whether they’re 100% digital, in-person interactions, or a combination of the two, these processes are created – by default or by design- with the intention of engaging buyers and sellers.
However, many B2B buying-selling-servicing processes are notoriously messy and often go undocumented because they are personality-driven, not process-oriented. This leaves B2B businesses’ client retention and relationship strategies at great risk because they are often centred around individual seller-buyer relationships, not a relationship process with the organisation.
On the B2C retail sales and service front, many large corporations have been opting for digital channels as their main interface with customers usually at the expense of the customer experience.
The time wasted and frustration caused to customers (and the abuse copped by staff as a result) is extremely disrespectful and unforgivable.
Margins on selling products alone are now razor thin and competition to capture the attention of customers and staff is fierce, so how do businesses continue to make reasonable profit margins and keep clients (and staff) coming back for all the right reasons?
Step in human-centred engagement underpinned by human-centred design.
Searching for better margins and better client and staff retention, some businesses are now designing more human-centred ways of buying-selling-servicing, whether it be online, virtual, or in-person experiences they are looking to create less stressful, easier, and where appropriate more meaningful ways of engaging.
Human-centred buying-selling-servicing processes consider how easy and meaningful it is to deal with a business. There are a few things at play:
1. NES, the new customer experience frontier for businesses
Net Easy Score: how easy it is for a customer to interact with a business.
2. Human-centred design
Human-centred design thinking is equal parts mindset, strategy, and tactical approach, that when adopted and applied consistently, can deliver transformative business results.
Conclusion
Human-centred buying-selling-service processes work from the perspective of real people, not idealised linear technology-driven processes.
They incorporate different modes of engagement – digital, remote, in-person – offering a hybrid delivery system.
Human-centred buying-selling-service processes move away from a CRM dictating a very rigid process to one that is centred on the salesperson/team and client relationships, around human interactions and how everyone contributes to an effective outcome.
There is no perfect one-size-fits-all buying-selling-service process but there are fundamental elements and decisions that they share when it comes to creating highly effective processes that attract and retain customers, employees, and suppliers.
Designing and executing human-centred buying-selling processes that deliver good results and the right experiences for buyers and those in sales and service roles involves several moving parts:
- Empathy & Collaboration
- Habits & Rituals
- Strategy & Purpose
- Marketing & Sales
- Teamwork & Culture
- Technology & Resources
- Value Chain
It’s time for human-centred buying-selling-service processes.
To read this full trend plus other human-centred pieces, you can download the Barrett 12 Sales Trends Report for 2024 here.
Stories from the field
Since our workshop yesterday:
Steph sold 80-100hrs this morning with his customer.
Robert has followed up 3 or 4 leads and booked a number of customer meetings.
I sat in a meeting and did a WWW with a customer, got 3 Fs out. Got another one in 30mins.
And it’s before 11 am.
A little confidence goes a long way eh. I’ll need more delivery capacity…
Related Topics
12 Sales Trends for 2023 – Humans at the Centre
From Personality Cults to Sales Process Maps: Rethinking Sales Success
What Sales Mapping Projects Can Reveal
A Year Ago
The Rainmakers – Learning How to Sell Professional Services
Three Years Ago
How a Sales Process Helps Your Sales Team Sell Better, Faster
Ten Years Ago
New Article Email Notification