Hybrid Selling

Selling into a hybrid world of work needs a different approach.  The pre COVID sales model based on face-to-face meetings was replaced by remote selling during lockdown.  Today’s sales approach needs to apply the best of both approaches in a new and thoughtful way.

Here are our ten top tips to make hybrid selling work:

1. Lift sales activity

One of the opportunities of the hybrid sales approach is to increase the overall number of contacts with a customer portfolio by mixing physical visits and remote contacts. 

2. Adjust the contact modes and frequencies by mixing face-to-face and remote selling 
It is vital to review the sales process, and decide on the stages that require a virtual approach and those where it is more relevant to focus on a face-to-face approach. 
 
3. Combine marketing and sales 
The battle between marketing and sales is a classic and negative scenario. In today’s changing world, is it acceptable to continue to allow these teams to have their own agendas? 
 
4. Define new activity monitoring indicators 
In the world before these changes, it was relatively difficult to obtain reliable information on the activity of salespeople. Remote selling makes metrics more reliable. Some existing KPIs remain essential, others are newer, all are important to measure performance and deduce what should be done to improve performance. 
 
5. Bring more added value during face-to-face visits 
If the frequency of face-to-face visits drops, it is necessary to ensure that each visit brings substantial added value to the customer. This will require better prepared visits, more structured visits, visits that will produce results. 
 
6. Guarantee quality remote interactions 
There is no shortage of videoconferencing tools: Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, Gotomeeting, they are all powerful and easy to use with a little practice. The important thing is to be familiar enough with the tools to avoid fear because as everyone knows fear paralyzes, – not recommended in sales! 
 
7. Recruit salespeople with the right profile 
It has become unthinkable to be commercially effective without mastering virtual selling. It is therefore necessary to revisit the profile of the recruits you are seeking, to hold onto what makes sense but identify the new skills needed for tomorrow’s success. 
 
8. Change culture by encouraging your managers to manage in blended mode 
It is more than an evolution.  It is a profound transformation, with new tools, new skills, new processes. Management must provide the impetus and maintain the desire. 
 
9. Use of digital selling tools 
In this hybrid world it is essential to make use of the right digital selling tools; including CRM sales forecasting, remote coaching, interactive learning and content creation and curation. 
 
10. Status of online purchasing 
Online purchasing is a must in this changing world of sales. Remember to consider dynamic pricing and keep an eye on what your competitors are doing. The opportunities online selling presents will repay your investment.