How Data and Technology Enhance the Human Touch in B2B Outbound Sales
The global B2B industry is the largest it’s ever been and growing – on track to become a quarter trillion-dollar market in the next five years.
As more vendors continue to saturate the market, they will need to bolster their outreach and sales tactics in order to differentiate their business from the vast competition and survive the recent economic headwinds that have forced countless businesses to tighten their belts.
As organizations continue to rein in their spending, B2B vendors will need to rethink their revenue-generating strategies in 2023 – for example: replacing inbound sales strategies which rely on spreading brand awareness to draw in interested prospects with outbound sales tactics which involve targeted, tailored messaging directly to the customer.
But to do this successfully, B2B vendors will need to fully embrace the capabilities provided by data-driven technologies that help facilitate the valuable “human touch” sales representatives bring to the table.
Firing on All Cylinders
The single-most important thing sales teams can do when prospecting potential B2B buyers is prove through frequent communication that they understand their unique needs and challenges, especially as they evolve over time.
Tech stacks such as customer relationship management (CRM) tools and lead generation software as well as the data derived from behavior analytics, next-product-to-buy algorithms, and pricing analytics – to name a few – not only make this possible but also practical, as they drastically reduce the time normally reserved for conducting manual research.
Essentially, data-driven technologies provide B2B outbound sales teams with the visibility they need to fire on all cylinders long-term from day one – gauging buyer intent faster and more accurately, developing and sharpening Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs), and formulating personalized and well-timed outbound sales pitches. Data enables the necessary analysis to inform the optimal outreach plan while the technology provides the various means to carry out that plan effectively and efficiently.
In 2023, these technologies will be key to enabling sales teams to establish an intelligent, targeted outbound sales strategy that promises the most success. It is essential that sales professionals leverage data not only to establish the right decision-makers within target organizations to approach, but also to gain a clear understanding of the right time to approach them. Data, such as that reflecting buyer intent, can be leveraged to identify which prospective customers are actively searching for new vendors to meet their business needs as well as how far along in the purchasing journey they are.
A sales pitch, no matter how personalized and well suited to an organization, can miss the mark if ill timed. Approaching a prospect once too far along in the purchase journey, once their decision has already been made, or who are not yet in the market for a new vendor or solution may result in wasted time, effort, and lost sales -making intention data solutions a vital element that cannot be overlooked.
B2B organizations that receive this kind of tailored outreach feel that their needs are being closely and carefully looked after, which not only strengthens customer retention but may impress them enough to refer you to others – and in this tumultuous economy, a referral is worth its weight in gold.
According to McKinsey, companies that leverage data-driven B2B outbound sales-growth engines report above-market growth and 15-25% increases in EBITDA – an incentive that should drive reluctant B2B sales organizations to adopt data-driven technologies.
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The Human Element
However, it is important to keep in mind that technology is only as good as the people behind it, and companies still crave the comfort of the “human touch”.
Data- and tech-driven solutions may be able to help sales development representatives (SDRs) craft targeted B2B prospecting, but people are still the ones conducting the outreach itself, whether it is in-person, over the phone, via email, or through social media channels.
As more B2B vendors embrace hybrid selling models that data-driven technologies have enabled, the barriers that once barred qualified sales talent from job opportunities, such as onerous commuting distances, are disappearing. In fact, more than 60% of B2B sales companies increased their hybrid and digital sales teams in 2021, bringing more skilled representatives to the digitized customer journey.
Tying It All Together
The B2B sales industry needs to pay attention to the evolving demands of B2B customers – including providing convenient and accessible outreach, omnichannel support, and personalized, intent-driven experiences. And although the use of data and technology can deliver on much of these, the human element is what ties it all together.
The combination of data, technology, and the “human touch” of sales representatives will be key to driving successful B2B outbound sales through 2023, forging the most sustainable path to growth in light of today’s difficult economy and volatile labor market.
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