The rise of the hybrid seller
DIGITAL STRATEGY
interaction of the buyer with the shared content , understanding exactly when the buyer reviews the content , who the content is shared with on the buying team , and exactly how much time each buying team member spends on each piece of content .
Blip or long-term shift ? But while a digitised approach to B2B sales has increased and thrived throughout the pandemic , is it a model likely to dominate once vaccines have been rolled out ? Much like the predicted long-term shift to hybrid working , the shift to hybrid has now “ become the predominant path for B2B sales ”, Spillecke says .
While most organisations do intend to return to in-person selling this year , with 90 % of B2B sellers expecting to hold some in-person meetings by the fourth quarter of 2021 , only 15 % expect in-person sales to represent more than 73 % of their sales interactions .
The rise of the hybrid seller
This drive to omnichannel commerce has triggered a restructuring in the sales team , with many moving with admirable speed , adapting processes on the fly in order to respond and adapt alongside their customer base , says Dennis Spillecke , McKinsey .
E-commerce has been the most popular route to market for B2B companies as of February 2021 , marginally outpacing in-person , and 41 % of leaders say it is their most effective sales route , outperforming in-person by 37 % and video by 31 %.
And moving forward , 85 % of B2B organisations expect the hybrid rep to be the most common sales role in their organisation in the next three years , compared to just 28 % that have hybrid sales roles today .
Hybrid sellers represent a combined team of field and inside sellers that sell mostly via video conference , phone and apps and only occasionally visit customers in-person .
“ Traditionally , B2B companies would have two types of salespeople : the in-house team selling from their desks and working to create and manage the sales funnel , and salespeople out on the road , meeting potential customers , building relationships and closing deals ,” explains Spillecke . But in the hybrid model , “ every salesperson will be trained with both skillsets and share their time between selling on digital channels , without losing sight of the need for face-toface engagements ”.
144 June 2021