What is Omnichannel Sales, and How to Get Started

Over time, sales have adopted multiple ways to communicate with a prospect whether it be for the first time or during the sales cycle. However, as time passes, and change has a way of making itself known, we need to be aware of the differences and adapt what works for you in your company and your personal sales cycle style.

 In order for us to stay together on topic, let’s first define a couple definitions.

What are Multi-Channel Sales and Omnichannel Sales

Sales has taken advantage of multiple channels within the sales cycle including phone calling, in-person meetings, LinkedIn, email, and more. This is called multi-channel sales because we’re using multiple networks with varying messages to touch the prospect. Omnichannel has a more integrated approach, meaning, it needs to be a unified message across multiple platforms, devices, and touchpoints.

Gathering Content for Your Personal Omnichannel Sales Story

According to McKinsey & Company, “83% of B2B leaders believe that omnichannel selling is a more successful way to prospect and secure new business than traditional ‘face-to-face’ sales approaches – a notable sign confidence, given the higher cost and hurdle of acquiring new customers.”

In theory, we can all agree this can be true, but what about in practice? Here are a few guidelines to consider as you begin to develop your personal sales story with omnichannel.

1. Identify your target. Define the person and title carefully. (This can also be defined as a persona)
2. What is the process your prospects go through to research products/services? If you’ve been in sales in your industry long enough, you have a good idea. But it’s always good to review, question and confirm.
3. Next, what channels do they use to get their information on what you sell?

No need to go it alone, go to marketing and evaluate what they’ve put together. If they haven’t done marketing omnichannel or even if they have, find out:

1. Does the content address the prospect’s biggest pain points? (unified message)
2. What touchpoints are they targeting and on which devices?

Now that you’ve answered some thought provoking questions, let’s start to build your personal omnichannel sales story.

Building Your Personal Omnichannel Sales Story

There are 3 steps to this process. This is based on experience in our industry. 

1. Go through and document and/or flowchart each step of your pre-pandemic and current sales process. What do you do 1st, 2nd, 3rd Then put an * next to where you would contact or interact with the prospect. These are your touchpoints.
2. Now, each touchpoint needs to state, reinforce and reiterate your unified message.
3. Decide what devices or platforms this can be accomplished on.

As you re-draw your sales story, you’ll notice that there’s very little face-to-face. Just because we’re coming out of the pandemic means that we’re going to go back to the way we use to sell. Yes, face-to-face is still part of your process, but it may only be one or two face-to-face visits and the remainder is done digitally. 

Is this wrong?

According to the same report from McKinsey & Co, sales models are changing to be hybrid. What is that? A hybrid sales professional interacts with prospects by video, phone, in-person and a variety of apps. They believe 85% expect hybrid sellers to be the norm over the next 3 years.

They also believe “integrated interactions across the buying journey could turn the learning curve of the last 12 months into a new trajectory for growth.”

Overall

We’ll all had to adjust our sales process and tactics. If you’ve done some of this work already, this will only fine tune what you’ve put together. If you haven’t done some of the steps outlined, you’re not too late. This can help fuel the sales funnel with a process that fits the way your prospects want to get their information and communicate.

Also…

Don’t forget, to get started by opening a free account with SalesLeads. Our team of researchers have identified projects where you can immediately apply your new omnichannel sales process. Take a look at what projects are going on in your area right now.