Changing Times - Sales Reps are now getting involved later in the sales cycle. - eMailchatr

…It’s not that sales reps don’t want to be involved earlier (nice double negative, Cramer), it is simply that times have changed. Prospects are now able to hide behind the curtain and educate themselves…at their own pace.

Take a look at a 90-day sales cycle from 10-15 years ago:

Prospect identifies a business need or one gets identified for them.
They search for a company that they either already know, heard about through a friend, phone book, etc.
The prospect picks up the phone and talks to a sales rep.

The remaining 80% of the sales cycle would consist of the sales rep attempting to overpromise what they can do, inundating the prospect with literature, inviting themselves out for a demo, and ultimately the prospect hiding from the sales rep until the time is right…if ever.

Jump forward to a 90-day sales cycle of today:

Prospect identifies a business need or one gets identified for them.
They do internet searches to see what is out there.
They offer up questions to various groups on social networks looking for feedback.
They dial in on a few possible solutions and dig through their respective web sites.
They sign up for newsletters, read blogs, download whitepapers provided by potential vendors.
As they become more interested, they may sign up and attend a webinar.
They fill out a simple form that initiates a call to them, which finally gets the sales rep involved.

The remaining 20% of the sales cycle is now in the sales reps hands. Success greatly depends upon how well you communicated with and nurtured this prospect along the way.

Look at what you offer and how you communicate with your prospects when they are self-educating behind the curtain…are you putting your best foot forward?

Scott Cramer | Director of Sales