11 Shocking Sales Facts for 2020

It’s 2020 and a lot of companies are already launching their new fiscal years.

Are you up-to-date on your selling strategies?

You don’t want to fall behind.

You want to get ahead, right?

So let’s look at really working today in sales. What’s helping? And what’s outdated?

We took a look at the stats and what the most successful sales people were doing…

Read the list and take action today so you don’t get left behind!

Top Salespeople Use Social Media!

1. Over 90% of top salespeople use social media in their strategies (LinkedIn).

Social selling tools, including LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, are the most widely used sales technology.

Specifically, sales professionals see relationship-building tools as having the highest impact on revenue (LinkedIn).

How are you using social media to build relationships?

Millennial Salespeople Use Social/Sales Intel Tools!

Fact: Millennials are 33 percent more likely to use sales intelligence tools than industry peers aged 35-54 (LinkedIn). These tools help by generating extra info about your prospects and leads.

Millennials, as we know, grew up using computers and devices, so it’s 100% normal for them to think the Internet should be give us more info about sales prospects.

The more you know…

…the more your sales grow!

So how are YOU using the Internet to learn more about your prospects?

Buyers Use Social Media to Make Buying Decisions!

2. 67% of the buyer’s journey now happens online (Sirius).

According to SiriusDecisions research, online searches are executives’ first course of action (just like everyone else)!

Are you making sure that the online experience for prospects is complete, high quality, and answering their needs?

That includes:

• All online materials
• Your website
• Your social media
• Your social networking and contact with prospects online as a salesperson
• The chat experience on the website

How great is that experience for your sales prospects?

Is anything lacking?

Buyers Consume Sales Propaganda Via Social Media Before They Talk to Salespeople!

3. Buyers consume at least 5 pieces of content (blog posts, videos and more) before contact with a sales rep (CMO Council).

It’s a shame but let’s face it- a lot of buyers avoid salespeople.

They definitely reach out if they have questions they can’t answer, but a lot of prospects don’t want to talk to you at all until they’re informed to a certain degree.

They don’t want to be pushed. They’ve had bad experiences with bad salespeople (not you!) and they’re afraid you’re going to be one of the bad ones.

You’re not that bad salesperson, but their past experience why they’re trying to get all the info and get prepared before they talk to you.

That’s why content marketing has become so important- and the distribution of content through social media.

So what can salespeople do? Become a resource. Do social media.

Some salespeople actually blog!

Yes, you read that correctly… they actually write words into the computer on purpose. I know- weird. That’s not for every sales person. In fact, that’s not for most of them- but the ones that do it reap all kinds of benefits like:

• Standing out from their peers
• Making their company stand out
• Sounding more objective and less pushy
• Seeming more approachable
• Seeming more like an expert resource we want to talk to

And all of that means that more prospects will talk to you. Hmm, maybe it is worth writing a little blog post once in a while?

4. 94% of all B2B buyers research online before making a business purchase (Accenture).

Who doesn’t do the responsible thing of at least Googling a little bit before committing thousands of dollars to what might be a huge mistake?

It’s a no-brainer.

Buyers don’t want to screw it up. So they research. And Google is one of the easiest ways.

So, does your company’s website show up when you Google the kinds of questions your prospects ask?

Is your company’s blog coming up for those searches?

Or are you lost in space?

5. 55% research online at least half of their purchases (Accenture).

6. In addition, Research by IDC has found that 91% of B2B buyers are now active and involved in social media.

Social buying correlates with buying influence. The average B2B buyer who uses social media for buying support is more senior, has a bigger budget, makes more frequent purchases, and has a greater span of buying control than a buyer who does not use social media.

7. 75% of buyers and 84% of executives use social media to make purchasing decisions (IDC).

In the final stage of the purchasing process, when stakes are highest, online professional networks (e.g., LinkedIn) are the #1 information preference of buyers.

Cold Calls DON’T WORK

8. Over 90% of decision makers never respond to cold calls (InsideView).

9. The success rate of cold calls to appointments is only 0.3% (Baylor University).

97.7% of cold call activity is wasteful. You need to make more than 3,200 calls to generate 10 meetings and 1 sale!

Instead, market and do social media and lead gen to warm up your prospects.

Warm Referrals, Like Social Media Networking, DRIVE MORE SALES

10. A warm referral increases sales success up to 4x (Demand Gen Report).

11. 70% report that referrals convert better and close faster than other type of lead (SuperOffice).