The key trends you can’t ignore if you want to be ready for the 2022 sales market.

We’re well into 2022, and, just like last year, sales are in a unique place. Buyers continue to work remotely, online sales increase, and the pandemic has left companies on edge. 

Despite everything, your company’s goal for the coming year is probably the same as always: to grow and increase sales revenue. To do that, you’ll need to be more informed than ever about buyer behavior, recent trends in selling (including B2B sales), and trends in sales management. 

In this piece, we cover the five most important sales trends in 2022 for you to watch.

1.Buyers are more informed than ever before

It’s 2022: Over 90 percent of consumers research products online before purchasing. With this in mind, the priorities of sales representatives need to shift to keep up. Buyers already know the whatabout your products and company. What they need from your sales reps is the why. If your product is approximately the same price and quality as company B and C’s, why should buyers choose you? 

In today’s market, buyers are faced with an overwhelming amount of choices and need to narrow down their options before making a purchase. Buyers are doing their research, so they expect you to do yours. People are losing interest in hard sales and product-focused marketing. When they can research the products and the pricing with a simple Google on their phones, they expect you to meet them at their level. To increase your buyers and revenue, it’s time to stop looking at what they can do for you — and start looking at what you can do for them. 

2.CX expectations are on the rise

Customer experience expectations are skyrocketing as we move out of the pandemic. In order to fulfill CX expectations, your company needs to be fast, accessible, personable, and technologically up-to-date. Why the rush to improve CX? Eighty-six percent of buyers are willing to pay more now for a great customer experience and companies are taking notice. 

In the new sales market, it’s not just your company’s reputation riding on CX, it’s your revenue. Let’s look at two aspects of CX you need to focus on moving into 2022:

• Personalization

If a retailer is negotiating with two different suppliers and those suppliers provide similar products at similar prices, their choice is going to be influenced by the supplier’s customer-facing persona.

Moving into 2022, the influence of the buyer experience is so strong that buyers may be moved to work with the more amiable supplier, even if they have limited or more costly products. When the CX is strong, the buyer won’t need to struggle over the price because they’ll be satisfied with the product and the experience.

• Conversational sales and social selling

A huge part of the customer experience now takes place on social media. Buyers love simplicity and immediacy. Texts, chatbots, and social media all allow buyers to interact with your company in a casual and efficient manner that doesn’t break your budget. Remember, more purchase options mean that you need to get information across to your buyers quickly before they lose interest. Take time to set up your social media accounts and your easy website communication. Your bottom line will thank you.

3.Focus on the happiness of your sales team

Throughout the pandemic, companies of all sizes made drastic changes to accommodate consumers and partners, but few made a strategic effort to maintain their sales teams. 

When you create an atmosphere of encouragement for your team, that reputation travels. A satisfied and motivated sales team won’t just bring in more customers: they’ll bring in more employees. Your HR department is already looking for motivated candidates. Why not give those candidates a reason to come to you? 

When you focus on your team, the results follow naturally.

4.Use data and analytics to drive revenue

Sales analytics are never a crystal ball, but they have become sophisticated enough over the past decade that your company can make realistic predictions based on current sales, industry trends, and financial health. 

Understanding sales analytics and using the right analysis tools place your company in the best possible position to increase revenue. 

For instance, sales data tells you what isn’t working, or what might need a bit of help. If you’re shifting a product online and are getting great click numbers, but struggling with purchase counts, it might be that something about the buying process is inaccessible. For example, if you’re distributing an item often sold in bulk, but there isn’t a bulk-buying price option, retailers won’t be incentivized to make that purchase at individual item cost.