The last few years has changed not only the way we live our lives and the way we interact with people, but the very way we do business has transformed.
The pace of digital transformation across all industries has accelerated almost beyond recognition. This has caused new and different challenges for sales professionals. And not just in the B2C sales realm, but traditional B2B sales too. The B2B sales of today is being increasingly shaped by digital marketing, artificial intelligence (AI) and the rapid development and adoption of automation technology.
It is no exaggeration to say that B2B sales is now at an inflection point. A series of socioeconomic shifts, new buying habits, and technological advances have transformed the way B2B buyers want to engage with suppliers today. As the B2B buyer journey has increasingly moved online, so must sales.
Savvy B2B sales leads have transformed and transitioned and now use the latest and smartest technology stacks to their advantage. They can collect data and use insights to engage with buyers at every stage of their client journey, building trust and growing the bottom line. However, others are being left behind.
This new approach has prompted Lucas Schellenberg, Global Managing Partner at H.I.E.C to research and author a brand-new white paper exploring what skills are needed for an executive sales leader, chief revenue officer or head of sales operations over the next decade. The paper discusses how sales has become a technology game; how contemporary culture based upon inclusion has levelled the playing field; how digital experts with an entrepreneurial spirit are in demand; and how go about building a world-class sales team for B2B companies.
Lucas Schellenberg, Global Managing Partner, H.I.E.C:“A new way of thinking is required in sales. The rise of new technologies and buyer behaviours has changed the playing field forever. Customers are now in charge. Their behaviour has shifted dramatically away from top-down, one-way communications toward two-way discussions based on relationships, transparency, and collaboration.”
Transformational leadership is needed to equip sales professionals with the abilities and skills needed to prepare for success within this new normal. To succeed today, a B2B sales leader needs to have the spirit of a digital expert with the mentality of an entrepreneur. They need to be able to stay relevant amid a rapidly changing landscape shaped by disruptive technologies and business dynamics. Effective B2B sales leaders must not only make the connections across their revenue engine – between selling and marketing, sales enablement, service and partner enablement, analytics and insights – but understand the technology that underpins it.
There has been a paradigm shift for B2B sales. To remain relevant, leaders in B2B sales and marketing must develop new skills that will help them better meet the needs of the digital buyers of today.
Interested to find out more? You can sign up for a free advanced copy of the ‘New transformational leadership demand in B2B sales’ white paper below:
To learn more about how H.I.E.C finds executives salespeople and leaders who understand and embrace the new processes and tools of the digital sales world, you can contact Lucas Schellenberg directly at lschellenberg@hiec.com