Again, the evidence says otherwise.
While buyers are willingly engaging in an omnichannel approach, many sales organisations haven’t kept pace.
Many buyers are willing to spend big on a single transaction using a remote or self-service model. Again, research indicates 71% of buyers are willing to spend more than $50,000 in a single transaction, and 27% percent would spend $500,000 or more.
When asked what they wanted most from their sales rep, one executive told us, “Please stop asking to meet with me in person. I’m busy enough as it is”.
Other executives like the fast and easy access to their suppliers’ product and subject matter experts that remote engagement allows.
As one executive commented, “I no longer have to wait three months for a date when everyone can travel to the same spot at the same time. I can speak with experts more often and on shorter notice.”
The long tail of COVID-19 continues to make the logistics of meeting in person challenging.
Since the start of the pandemic, companies have publicly announced office-space reductions of 20 to 50 percent and have indefinitely extended full- or part-time work-from-home arrangements for their employees, making remote meetings easier and more practical for buyers in many instances.
Sales teams are also growing more comfortable with a remote-first model. While some teams are eager to dust off their travel gear, many are in no hurry to resume road-warrior lifestyles. Digital engagement works just as well, they feel, largely due to better technology connectivity.