5 Surprising Sales Statistics That Will Change The Way You Interact With Customers

Some people think they know everything there is to know about sales. Sure, there are universal principles that apply to most sales situations, but with the constant changes and shifts in the market, business owners and their sales teams are being forced to adapt quickly.In recent years, we’ve seen transitions from traditional retail to online shopping, and now, to mobile purchasing. Each change brings a unique challenge, but that doesn’t mean that small business owners are being left in the dust. Entrepreneurs who manage to stay on top of trends have a leg up on adapting to meet the challenges they bring.To keep up with the trends of their changing markets, business owners should watch the activity of their customers closely. Every industry will change in different ways, but some customer activity is universal. Today, we want to share a few surprising stats that can help mold your sales and marketing strategy, no matter what industry you operate in:

1. 70% of buyers watch videos as part of their purchase process.

When it comes to marketing your goods or services, variety truly is the spice of life. One of the best ways to market yourself or your business is through videos. The brilliant thing about videos is that you can demonstrate multiple aspects of your product or service at once while providing buyers with the information they need in order to feel comfortable doing business with you. In fact, it might be smart to provide multiple videos that go into different aspects of your business. In the age of the Internet, buyers like to be as informed as possible about whom they are giving their money.Take advantage of this by using videos as a tool to do little things like introduce yourself or your staff to potential buyers or provide a more in depth look into how your product or service works. Transparency is important to buyers, so something so simple as providing videos that explain the various aspects of your business could help determine whether or not they want to do business with you.

2. Companies that respond to leads within an hour are seven times more likely to engage in meaningful conversations than those who take longer to respond.

Online shopping has changed the expectations of customers everywhere. The ability to purchase a product and receive it right away is now deeply entrenched in how customers think. Purchasing decisions are often made based on a first come first serve basis. Whichever business can get a customer what they want as soon as possible will win the sale.It’s important to make the most of the leads that you get by responding to them as soon as possible, because chances are you aren’t the only one who can help them. Showing up late to the party means that you run the risk that this buyer’s needs have already been met or are about to be met by another company. Responding quickly to a lead sends the message that you’re the kind of business who gets the job done quickly and efficiently, and that’s never a bad thing.

3. Messages written at a third grade reading level are 36% more likely to get a response.

Sometimes our initial instinct is to try and sound “smart” by throwing in unnecessarily big words and overly complicated sentences to impress a potential buyer, but usually that just comes across as pretentious and awkward. A true mark of intelligence is when someone can make a complicated idea seem simple and easy to understand.Think about it, do you enjoy talking to the guy at a party who sounds like a walking word-of-the-day calendar? Probably not. If you’re unsure of how to simplify your writing, try imagining what you would say to a friend of yours if you were asked to explain this same concept to them. Chances are that doing this will allow you to come across as more likeable and accessible to potential buyers, making buyers more eager to do business with you.

4. Emails with 1-3 questions are 50% more likely to get responses than those without.

One of the simplest things you can do as a salesperson is to ask your potential buyers a small number of questions. Nobody enjoys being talked at, and asking a few questions is a great and effective way to engage potential buyers in a conversation. Asking questions lets buyers know that you’re not only flexible but you’re also willing to work with them.Ask potential buyers about their specific needs or what they’re willing to spend on a product or service like the one that you are offering. Asking these sorts of questions encourages potential buyers to actively engage with you as well as provides you with extremely relevant information about their particular needs.

5. 84% of sales start with a referral.

Even if you’re an incredibly talented salesman, winning the trust of a potential client is challenging. The fact of the matter is that people are more likely to listen to the word of someone they personally know and trust more than they are the word of a salesperson. At the end of the day, a salesperson’s job is simply to sell things, so potential buyers don’t truly know if you’re giving them the absolute truth or you’re just trying to make a sale.Aside from building strong working relationships with your customers, one of the best ways to encourage existing customers to refer your business to other potential buyers is to provide your customers with a discount or incentive if they help you get in touch with more buyers.Although it may seem like the world of marketing and sales is changing too quickly for anyone to keep up, the only things that are really changing are the mediums that we use to conduct business. Other than that the basic principles of honesty and transparency are still important to potential buyers, the trick is to find a way to communicate those principles in an increasingly digital world.