Teams | Collaboration | Customer Service | Project Management

In 2020, the ecommerce sector saw explosive growth, expanding by more than 32 percent—double the average growth rate of the preceding decade. Kept at home by the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers took to their mobile phones and laptops to order everything from sourdough starter to barbecue pits, and the ecommerce sector finally had the right market conditions for hockey stick growth. Supply has also surged to meet demand, meaning brands face more competition than ever.

Messaging has surged in popularity and become a go-to channel for many consumers since the COVID-19 pandemic. It looks like the trend is here to stay—74 percent of customers who messaged with companies in 2020 plan to continue doing so. Research also shows that 76 percent of consumers like to buy products using chat or messaging, and 72 percent are more likely to make a purchase online if they can ask questions in real-time. Google’s Business Messages enables buyers to do both.

During the company’s all-hands meeting, you find out a sales manager role has opened up. As a seasoned sales rep, you naturally get excited—until you realize that you don’t know how to transition from a sales agent to a sales manager. You begin to wonder, Do I have what it takes? If you’ve ever felt this way, you’re not alone. Ask any sales manager, and they’ll tell you the journey to leading a sales team isn’t easy.

It’s hard to find a brand with a more loyal following of diehard supporters than Apple. According to a 2021 SellCell survey, brand loyalty for Apple customers is at “an all-time high of nearly 92 percent.” That’s up from (an already high) 90.5 percent in 2019. Those Apple users already likely spend much of their time in Apple’s Messages app—making it the perfect place for companies to reach customers and provide support.

Freshly picked with care—new Zendesk app integrations are here. Learn how these new integrations can ease workloads for your sales and support teams.

Longtime customers are the lifeblood of a business. According to Marketing Metrics, you are 14 times more likely to sell to an existing customer than you are to attract a new one. What’s more, acquiring a new customer can cost five times more than simply investing in retaining one you already have. Upselling to existing customers is essential to growth.

The pressure is on as a sales professional. You must keep up with constant changes in buyer behavior while connecting with potential customers, nurturing leads, and closing deals—all in hopes of hitting your sales targets. Handling so many tasks at once certainly isn’t easy, but you can thrive with the right set of sales skills and qualities in your arsenal. If you want to learn how to be a better sales rep, start by mastering these essential selling skills.

In many ways, the pandemic has forced sales teams to become more efficient. Many teams have switched to a digital-first approach, which allows for more interactions on a daily basis. It also means spending less time and money on commuting and traveling. However, remote sales teams have a bigger hurdle when it comes to forging genuine human connections—and not just between sales representatives and customers, but also between one another.

Customer acquisition cost (CAC) was on the rise for many companies prior to COVID-19. According to ProfitWell, CAC for businesses increased by approximately 60 percent between 2014 and 2019. But since the onset of COVID-19, brands have actually been acquiring new customers more cost-effectively. McKinsey & Company reports that the shift to digital sales led to 30 percent higher acquisition efficiency for businesses.

Remote sales have become increasingly common, but it took a pandemic to truly establish virtual selling as the new normal. A McKinsey survey conducted in the wake of Covid-19 found that over 75 percent of buyers and sellers alike now prefer virtual sales meetings over face-to-face interactions. And just 20 percent of B2B buyers said they wanted to go back to in-person presentations of the past. This would seem to be the evolution of the classic “road warrior” salesperson.