With the pandemic and the global economic slowdown that followed, sales organizations around the world must constantly adapt their strategies to a changed clientele and climate. Enterprise software developer Salesforce, in its The State of Sales. surveyed over 300 Indian sales professionals about the changes and trends facing sales teams in India.
Here are the 4 most important sales trends in India right now:
Sales trend 1: Data and other customer insights play an important role in the sales process in India
In India, it is always essential as a salesperson to demonstrate a deep understanding of the customer's unique needs and desires, but this is even more important in economic, uncertain times when the hand may be tightened. Salespeople in India must therefore also be excellent consultants and not only have an outstanding knowledge of their product, but also be able to quickly discover the customer's needs.
Therefore, to better understand and advise customers, most Indian salespeople gather information from a variety of sources, both public and proprietary, such as from the CRM or sales system being used, prior to customer contact. In addition, it pays to be alert to the competition. By monitoring the activities of the competition on a daily basis, it is easier to respond to offers from other parties. For example, by adjusting the price or offering extra service.
Sales trend 2: Indian consumers want to be able to find your company on all channels
Indian buyers expect sales organizations to be present on all channels where they themselves can be found, from email to social media. 57 percent of buyers prefer to approach companies through digital channels, according to the survey.
In high-performing sales organizations, customer contact is more often through an average of ten channels. In particular, online portals offer a variety of self-service options. This allows salespeople to spend more time on strategic accounts, customer acquisition and keeping current customers happy.
Many Indian sales teams are also automating repetitive tasks, such as by deploying artificial intelligence (AI), in order to have the time to serve customers across all different channels. 68 percent of salespeople surveyed who work with AI said that deploying artificial intelligence has significantly improved workflow.
Sales trend 3: All departments must work together smoothly - after all, the Indian customer expects a frictionless buying experience
Indian buyers cite their customer experience as the deciding factor - of which sales is only one part - when they do business. They are looking for convenience and consistency in their interactions with companies. But when departments such as sales, marketing and service do not work smoothly together, customers can face conflicting communications and long wait times.
It is therefore important to break down possible barriers between the different departments and ensure that everyone has insight into what steps have already been taken with the customer. By creating an open structure and having all departments work together as well as possible, the most pleasant customer experience can be created.
Sales trend 4: The role of sales operations in Indian sales organizations becomes more important
In 2020, 54 percent of Indian sales managers said sales operations is important in determining sales strategy. By now, the figure is 65 percent.
Sales operations has traditionally been seen as the department that works behind the scenes, but that is changing. The tools and sales processes that sales operations has always been concerned with should now provide greater efficiency and cost savings.
So companies that want to prioritize it should involve sales operations in setting strategy. More than eight out of 10 Indian salespeople say sales operations is a crucial contributor to the company's growth.
Is your sales team in India performing as expected?
Every sales organization worldwide is currently facing uncertainties and major changes due to the various international crises affecting everyone. Therefore, it is important to be as flexible and agile as possible in order to respond to the latest trends in order to keep getting good results.
Are you running into problems in this area in India? For example, are sales disappointing or is the service operation in India not going according to plan? IndiaConnected helps companies improve their operations in India. We understand complex and difficult situations in the Indian business context and know how to solve them. Whether it is finance, tax, compliance issues, HR or operational matters, we help you find the right solution and implement it.
Learn more about how our experienced, local expert can also improve the organizational efficiency of your Indian subsidiary.