1. Reduction In Middlemen
People and organizations are cutting out the middleman at an alarming speed in almost every industry. With increased transparency in pricing and an increase in customer feedback, sales teams will need to provide additional value and insight on their products and services, which would otherwise not be accessible to customers. - Timothy Moore, Blue Haus Group
2. Wholesale Distribution
Historically, online sales have continued to impact brick-and-mortar stores on the retail side. However, we are now beginning to see a shift toward wholesalers challenged by online distributors. Business operators do not like the large minimum orders or being dictated to as to what they can and cannot purchase. The online market will impact the wholesale distribution network, especially in food. - Emily Hauptvogel, H&H Products Company
3. Digital Sales
The influx of technology has made it easier than ever for customers to make purchases via digital methods. As a result, I think we’ll see more companies shift toward an inside sales or digital model versus a field sales or in-person model, leading to cost efficiencies. A new study by InsideSales.com revealed that the time spent by field sales reps selling remotely grew by 89% during the past four years. - Rakhi Voria, Microsoft
4. Patient-Driven Health Care
In health care, the traditional marketing and sales channels are being disrupted by targeting patients directly instead of marketing to physicians, other health care professionals or hospitals. FDA-approved, clinical grade devices — like stethoscopes and ear monitoring, apps, blood testing, and out-of-pocket services like IVs on-demand — are being purchased directly by patients. - Robin Farmanfarmaian, Invicta Medical
5. B2B Reviews
A big shift that we are seeing in B2B technology is that customers are exploring enterprise software purchases much like they do consumer goods. This is something that many in the B2B space haven’t had to deal with during sales calls, but as more review sites are available, each sales team has to take the positive comments and use them, while being prepared to discuss the negative. - Ryan van Biljon, Samanage
6. Live Chat
You're starting to see live chat pop up quite a bit on companies' websites, especially in the SaaS space. Solutions like Intercom and Drift allow you to engage in a conversation with a prospective customer and qualify that person with just a few questions. You should see live chat shorten the sales process by capturing quality leads quickly and tailoring where in the sales cycle that prospect is. - Brandon Lytle, Leadpages & Drip
7. Bots
Bots are applications that perform automated tasks and will ultimately assist the way in which everyone sells. They will be the new assistant to the salesperson, as they are excellent at performing the tedious jobs which every salesperson undertakes on a daily basis. Bots will not replace senior salespeople — for now, at least — as they lack the ability to consult, build rapport and show empathy. - Dane Matheson, Sourcebits
8. Human-Centric Sales
The rise of automation and AI technology is putting into question the role of humans in the sales process. It is becoming ever more important to hire creative thinkers who are able to contribute toward critical improvements in processes and systems. The need for liberal-arts educated talent with a holistic approach to problem-solving, will help shape a human-centric approach for success in sales. - Farah Akhtar, Contently
