What B2B Sales Activity Will Look Like in 2022 and Beyond

The last few years haven’t been easy for those working in the B2B sales industry due to many barriers, including working from home, the difficulty of meeting in person, and the obvious non-sales related priorities that have taken over the psyche of buyers.  At the beginning of the year, like any year, we were all optimistic about what 2021 would bring, but now we must figure out how to pick up the pieces that the pandemic has left behind.   

The past month has been a time for reflection and preparation – what have your sales looked like this year thus far? What strategies have been successful? What had to change? And, looking forward, what should you expect? Consider these predictions for what to expect when it comes to B2B sales activity for the remainder of 2022 and beyond:  

 Given the difficulties of in-person selling for the time being – are you equipped with the tools, skills and the team to succeed through phone and video?    

As we come out on the other side of this pandemic, it is clear to see that a normal sales approach is more challenging. Even when we all return to the office and things are considered “better,” company decision makers may be accepting fewer in-person meetings. So, how can we change our sales approach to reflect the current state of B2B sales? As seen over the course of the past few months, there is shift towards phone meetings, as well as meeting using video conferencing platforms, like Zoom, Go2Meeting and Microsoft Teams. But, has your organization developed and mastered the skill of selling using these “new” selling methods?   

Selling on the phone brings an array of challenges that you don’t have to deal with in an in-person meeting. You won’t be able to receive any body language cues. Instead, you will have to train your salespeople to listen to cues given through vocal inflection. According to HR Daily Advisor, “Raising one’s voice can be a sign of anger, rapid speech can convey a sense of urgency and silence can indicate disagreement, etc.”  In addition, silence can mean someone has tuned out or got distracted. 

As your salespeople learn what to listen for, they will also learn how their own vocal inflection affects the way their message is received. This is important to keep in mind when building rapport with the customer. In person, this is easy to do, but it becomes harder when you can’t see the person. Consider these tips for gaining the prospects attention while building rapport. 

Networking will look different – forging new relationships and building sales pipelines will require creativity and innovation 

Networking and building your pipeline are important parts of the sales process. However, from now and at least the next few months, there are no conferences or in-person networking functions to attend. So, how can we still build our sales pipelines and forge new relationships if the typical events that allow these relationships to happen are not occurring? Will networking be more ‘normal’ in 2022?  

As of right now, it looks like there will be a shift towards innovative solutions like virtual networking functions. Stay in the loop, keep up with recent LinkedIn posts and network virtually when you can. Since your sales may have decreased in recent months, as a result of the pandemic, now is the time to make connections for the future. And, according to the Mx Group, there are many benefits to virtual networking events, including the fact that, “virtual events are easier to attend – there’s no travel and less commitment.” 

Here at MarketReach, we understand that the remainder of 2021 (and beyond) will be a time for learning and adapting. Now is the time to prepare for what’s to come and to think about what to expect – strengthen your team’s ability to utilize phone and video to communicate with prospects and different ways to network. With the elimination of trade shows, consider MarketReach to still get you in front of your best prospects! If you find you need any help setting appointments, give us a call.  Our team of qualified lead generators will deliver exactly what you’re looking for as a way to get in front of qualified prospects that have a predisposition to buy!