There are dozens of blog posts, articles and statistics devoted to the value of bringing in the right talent into your organization. At the Atlanta Sales Leadership Community panel, we learned that the average cost of a bad hire for a company is $250,000. Take that number and multiply it by just four and you are looking at a million dollars’ worth of error.
The Number 1 Reason Sales Technology Initiatives Fail
Take a moment away from your packed day of customer calls to imagine with me… (Trust me). Think about some of the technological devices you used today. The list probably included: a computer of some sort, a smartphone, and possibly a digital touch watch. Now imagine your life without any of these items. Tough? That would probably be an understatement. Most of us, if not all, would be completely turned upside down in the way we work and communicate with each other. That my friends— is the power of technology. It is constantly evolving and constantly changing the world around us.
Out with the old— in with the new!
Flying cars, hover boards, and self-lacing shoes may not have come to fruition like Marty McFly expected in Back to the Future 2, but there is no doubt that the advancement of technology has impacted every aspect of today’s society. In the world of business, it is imperative that companies stay on trend, if not ahead, of advancements that may affect the relationship between customers and businesses. Technology has made it possible for customers to grocery shop through an app and even get 3D prints of their foot for individual customization of shoes, leaving many businesses wondering how they can use technology to improve the customer buying experience. The newfound trend is that B2B customers are now looking for the same buying experience as B2C companies.
I took a drawing class last year called “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.” To say that I did not receive the gift of drawing is a little bit of an understatement. Writing words is relatively easy, but drawing a straight line even with a ruler has historically been a challenge for me. Can you relate?
Now, “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain,” for all of those who remember some of the “brain” anatomy, is all about engaging the creative right side of the brain. The left is the more logical side of the brain. A number of interesting things occurred as I was instructed on drawing and worked through the activities during class.
Before we get to that, you are probably wondering what all this has to do with growing your business, improving performance, driving change, sales or sales leadership topics that I usually comment on. Stay with me! Here’s what happened:
In nearly every client and prospect meeting, we are asked about the top trends impacting B2B sales right now. Over the last year, we have seen the top 4 B2B sales trends to be:
These trends impact the ability of sales organizations to deliver revenue, margin, customer loyalty, and customer satisfaction. They not only impact sales leaders, but also impact all levels of the sales organization. Sales people should be aware of the trends impacting decisions by their customers. Sales leaders should be aware of the trends that impact them internally and externally.
