Huthwaite’s Director of Marketing Rachel Massey writes on what makes a successful seller in the digital age.

You’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a million times. The digital age has transformed the sales arena. And, as many professionals are looking to technology as the panacea to improve their performance, a continued focus on quality customer service and added-value is at risk of being overlooked. For anyone recruiting sales professions, recognising thischange is clearly essential. Rather than rushing out to source tech-savvy candidates who might lack core skills, it is important to understand the crucial importance the personal touch still plays when it comes to sales excellence.

The role of globalisation

The digital age arrived in tandem with globalisation. Globalisation saw a greater focus on cost reduction such as outsourcing and offshoring.  Has this led to a loss in quality and value for the customer? Many would argue yes. And it’s a key consideration for those whose job is to sell a service or product. Whilst many feel the digital age must be accommodated and that’s certainly borne out by the increase in digital and social selling activity – there is also a growing need for a more focused and human approach for the successful seller.

The rise in demand for organic produce, ethical business practices and locally sourced product is no coincidence. Society is breaking away from traditional capitalist behaviour and instead looking to feel more human again. Enter the ‘hipster’ movement – people looking to re-connect in an overly digital world.

So, what makes a successful seller and what does all of this mean for sales?

A rise in digital products and services, should never mean the fall of quality customer service – and that includes sales. The savvy consumer now requires more than just a cost-effective service, they want a cost-effective solution.

Buyers – whether consumer or corporate – want to feel important, like they matter. As globalisation and digital connectivity has risen so too has our need for individual acknowledgement. We want the bespoke approach.

We see this time and time again in contemporary marketing. From the success of the personalised Coca-Cola bottle, to the multi-million-pound budget channelled into bespoke digital marketing. If it isn’t bespoke, it isn’t of interest.

Does this mean our product offering needs to change? Thankfully no. But whilst your service may not be bespoke, your approach to selling it can be.

The real priority for the successful seller is to position products or services as solutions. It’s nothing new but it’s still a widely neglected part of the selling process. Where historically you may have sold features or even benefits, it’s now more important now than ever, to adopt a more consultative approach.

Before jumping into a sales pitch, get to know your client’s needs. What issues are they facing, what is it they want from your product or service? This information is vital – whether you’re selling your services to the CEO of a multi-billion-pound company or a start-up. If you don’t understand the needs of your customer, simply put, you don’t know what you’re selling.

Let’s take the high value sale as an example. Is your customer buying it to save money in the long-term, or to increase revenue in the short-term? Are they buying it to replace an existing obsolete model? Or to replace jobs previously done by people. Purchase drivers can be more varied and complex than these simple illustrations but you get the idea.  The lesson is, ascertain the answer and you can position your service more persuasively.

It may be the high value product you’ve sold a million times, but you’re selling it to an individual every time – so change your sales approach to accommodate their needs.

In this digital age we desire greater recognition of our humanity and individuality. The seller who recognises and responds to this by differentiating their approach will be successful over those who don’t. An important lesson for any recruiter wanting to source the very best candidates.