Through an inside-out perspective, consider whether the segment can be served with low-touch or high-touch interactions by looking at the horizontal axis. On the vertical axis, determine the expected revenue of those sales interactions (in other words, the segment’s total customer value). The objective is not to lock an account into one channel over another; the most powerful option is to drive an intentional hybrid strategy.
3. Rethink and optimize each sales role
Each channel likely requires its own processes, metrics and reward structures. You have to be deliberate about the products and services you offer within the channel, the experience you want to deliver, and how you enable it. Here are some considerations within all four channels.
Field sales reps should be focused on breakout deals — those that are larger, high-value and lucrative, where complexity is high and therefore more worthy of the face-to-face approach. Also, some companies with strong office cultures will likely want to retain in-person interactions with reps, and field service will remain just as important in a consultative environment (examining onsite equipment and inventory, for instance). Yet today, most field sales organizations have too many customers, and as a result, some of them are underserved — in effect, getting the least out of your more costly resources.
Inside sales reps are well-positioned to drive deals at the mid-market level with moderate complexity — potentially covering four or five times as much what a field service can, as these segments don’t require as much hands-on care. Moving underserved customers from field service reps to inside sales reps represents an opportunity to strengthen relationships and grow the pipeline while reducing costs.
Digital sales/e-commerce should be positioned as the go-to resource for self-service capabilities, leveraging guided selling to serve smaller customers with less complex needs — for example, repeat sales, sales of consumables, simple goods and SaaS subscription renewals. Again, this is a chance to cut costs, but when done properly, e-commerce has the added benefit of improving the customer experience.
Also, a strong sales ops organization can help provide your core sales team with insight and analytics about particular customers, such as which sales motions and communications strategies are preferred. Your salespeople are more effective when they’re out selling, not looking at contracts and past orders.
Meanwhile, channel partners (such as distributors or value-added resellers) quickly enable you to gain better coverage where you’re lacking — for example, to expand internationally. Engaging a channel partner requires a balance of coverage measured against control and cost: through these alliances, you give up control over the messaging, pricing and access to the end customer, and you’re sacrificing some amount of margin.
4. Smooth out the consumer transitions
As you move customers into new channels, you don’t want different representatives making calls to the same customer contact: have a joint call where the field sales resource introduces the inside sales professional, for example. In an initial period of three to six months, keep the field sales rep engaged until the inside sales resource builds the trust and understands the customer agenda, and address concerns as they surface. And be alert for signs that you’ve pushed virtual and digital selling too hard and lost sight of what’s most important: building trust with customers.
In the end, do not assume that what happened in 2020 was a momentary blip and that everything will go back to “normal.” For too many companies, “normal” is not worth aspiring to. Strive for greater: greater service, greater efficiency and greater satisfaction.