Personal contact is vital in sales. But can it be aligned with a digitally oriented company?
On one hand, digitalisation increases the distance between people, while on the other hand, the personal touch is said to make a difference in sales. Can we combine both effectively?
Dr. Matthias Walter, managing director of the consultancy Blue Advisory GmbH, shares his thoughts:
Driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have experienced a significant "digitalisation boost" – especially in areas where personal contact remains crucial.
Until 2019, B2B sales largely thrived on direct and personal customer interaction, but the pandemic abruptly disrupted this, and traditional sales channels like visits, trade shows, or events temporarily shifted to the digital realm.
Instead of leveraging the "classic advantages" of field sales – like building personal relationships through onsite contact or tangible product presentations – sales now must rely on digital channels such as video conferences or virtual events at the expense of personal proximity.
In light of this, the question arises of how sales can and must position themselves in a digital age to remain successful?
Opportunities of Digitalisation in Sales
Generally, I recommend familiarising oneself primarily with the existing opportunities of digitalisation in sales and being open to changes. For example, previously, with long and costly travel times, only a few customer appointments could be managed per day, but now with digital conference tools, several appointments can be held in a single day.
Instead of spending "unproductive" time traveling by car, sales teams can now allocate their resources more efficiently and focus more on new or high-value A clients.
At the same time, the possibilities offered by digitalisation also support expanding the sales territories. Depending on how your sales regions are divided, there might have been customers in the past who were simply "less profitable" to manage due to distance – even though they might have had similar sales potential. Such customers can now be reached "with a click of the mouse."
Hybrid Sales Connects Digitalisation and Personal Contact
Despite the advantages associated with digitalisation, analogue sales methods are far from obsolete in many industries and companies. Particularly when it comes to complex products or services or the initial establishment of customer relationships, personal contact remains one of the key success factors in the B2B sector.
The solution, therefore, lies not in "either-or", but – as often – in the middle: in developing "hybrid sales" – a mix of elements that customers appreciated from the "old world" combined with the benefits of digitalisation.
In this context, there should always be consideration. For instance, the personal component holds decisive influence during initial meetings with new clients or "critical" appointments (like price negotiations, escalations). Meanwhile, status meetings or appointments with existing customers often focus merely on brief exchanges of information.
When Should Personal Contact be Preferred?
It is therefore advisable, especially at the start of a customer relationship and then periodically or when needed, to choose personal contact. Once a trusting relationship is established, the digital way through video conference tools can be utilised for regular "keep in touch" meetings. The right "mix" is highly individual and largely influenced by your product, the market concerned, your contact person at the client, and also your sales team's digital skills.
In summary, the introduction of digital components to sales should never compete with analogue sales – rather, it's a complementary sales approach. Only by combining both strengths and benefits, always taking into account the product, the market, and the customer in itself – does it lead to a sustainable and successful sales strategy in the long term, aligning optimally with customer needs while also easing the "classic" field sales efforts.
(Source: B4B-Schwaben)
