Top-3 B2B Sales Trends for 2024

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Thanks to Denver Biz Collabatory for having me as a speaker last night. Here’s a recap ICYMI:

As technologies continue disrupting how business gets done, sales teams in 2024 face mounting pressure to leverage AI, stay ahead of competitors, and hit revenue goals. However, the fundamentals of selling have not changed - success still depends on forging authentic human connections, providing genuine value, and truly understanding prospects' needs.

This article focuses on three key areas that will separate high-performance sales teams over the next year:

  1. Lead with Human Connection, Not AI

  2. Deliver Value Throughout the Sales Process

  3. Customize Sales Strategy Based on Buyer Intent

Mastering these capabilities will enable sales teams to build credibility, strengthen relationships with prospects, and win more deals.

 

1. Lead with Human Connections, Not AI

Breakthrough technologies like AI are fundamentally reshaping sales operations. While these tools boost productivity and insights, they should enable teams behind the scenes - not drive frontline interactions. 

The Dangers of Leading with Technology:

  • Prospects instantly recognize and distrust impersonal outreach driven purely by AI tools.

  • Lead gen campaigns focused on quantity over quality destroy perceptions of empathy.

As sales experts observe, in a world of bots, being human will be an increasing competitive advantage. Sales success in 2024 still depends on genuine human relationships.

Action Steps for Founders & Sales Leaders:

  • Position AI as a sales support tool to enhance productivity, efficiency and insights, not as a replacement for human interactions - technology should not be the face prospects see.

  • Prioritize quality over quantity and take a rifle vs shotgun approach to outreach. Key in on prospects with the highest fit and focus on tailored conversations.

  • Equip teams with conversation guides around market trends, use cases etc., but empower them to steer discussions based on prospects' specific issues and goals. This balance of preparation and personalization optimizes valuable connections. 

The bottom line is technology serves sales teams best behind the scenes. Customer-facing interactions should be driven by emotional intelligence, listening skills and chemistry between professionals. Leading human connections builds trust and relationships that ultimately win deals.

 

2. Provide Value Throughout the Sales Process

Progressive sales teams focus on delivering value to prospects at every step of the journey - not just when pushing proposals and negotiating contracts. This approach constantly moves opportunities forward by building credibility and relationships even if buyers are not fully ready to commit.

Where Teams Struggle:

  • Rushing to generic demos and pitches without addressing prospects' specific situation, goals and challenges

  • Failing to equip reps with insights/tools to provide specialized value in early stage conversations 

  • Not tracking relevant value delivered to buying committee members across engagement stages

Action Steps for Founders & Sales Leaders:

  • Map types of value to each funnel stage

  • Provide training and resources around market landscape, tech developments, use cases etc. to fuel engaging dialogues

  • Leverage subject matter experts to offer tailored strategic guidance

  • Report on value delivered ahead of calls to demonstrate progression

This focus on value helps sales teams move opportunities forward regardless of buyers' readiness to purchase full solutions. Even if deals stall, the relationships and credibility established set the stage for faster conversions down the road.

 

3. Customize Your Sales Strategy Based on Buyer Intent

Not all prospects have the same priorities or timelines. Failing to adapt sales strategies based on individuals' buying journeys is a recipe for stagnation and frustration.

Signs Your Team Needs Improvement:

  • Pushing proposals without budget or decision process clarity

  • Mismatch between collateral/pitches and prospect's current challenges

  • Overly generic discovery questions that fail to capture nuanced needs

Action Steps for Founders & Sales Leaders:

  • Ask discovery questions to gauge where individuals are at in their journey:

  • Listen carefully for shifts in priorities, timelines or criteria

  • Develop customized sales approaches for prospects in various stages:

    • Research Phase - Provide insights, trends and tools to aid exploration but no expectation of commitments 

    • Budgeting Phase - Focus on building the business case with metrics tied to prospects' goals 

    •  Approval Phase - Involve specialists for tailored scoping and negotiations 

    •  Implementation Phase - Ensure all buyer personas are supported post-sale

This level of adapting strategy based on intent will significantly improve win rates compared to a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach.   

The key is training teams to truly discover where individual buyers are at while resisting the urge to force-fit ill-timed proposals. Patiently guiding prospects by meeting them where they are accelerates sales momentum.

 

2024 B2B Sales Trends Recap

  • Lead with human connections - position AI technology behind the scenes

  • Deliver value across every buyer journey stage - don't just sell

  • Customize sales strategies based on prospect intent and readiness

Equipping teams to sell in ways that build authentic relationships, provide ongoing value and progress opportunities at the right pace will drive dramatic growth.

The future remains bright for teams focused on the heart of sales, not just the tools.

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Jay Mays