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Are you ready to make 2015 your best year? In 2015, you have an opportunity to take risks, change how you market and sell, as well as define a niche in your market. Here are my predictions for ideas and trends that will shape sales and business development in 2015.

 

 

  1. Tightly Integrated Sales & Marketing

    According to The Digital Evolution in B2B Marketing research by CEB and Google, the average customer is more than half-way through the purchase process (70% on the high end) before speaking with a vendor. This means that content marketing and sales strategy must be tightly integrated.

    SiriusDecisions, reports B2B organizations with tightly aligned marketing and sales achieved 24% faster revenue growth and 27% faster profit growth over a three-year period. Here’s an interesting read on it.

  2. The Role of Salespeople Will Evolve

    Savvy customers don’t value old-school, pressure-based, manipulative sales methods. In fact, many executives say they’ll decide to not select a vendor because of a negative sales experience. Customers value subject matter experts.

    As customers increasingly value subject-matter experts, salespeople need refined consultative skills. Top companies will invest prudently in teaching how to identify and cultivate opportunities that are a great fit for your business – not old-school selling tactics. They’ll discover how customers make buying decisions and what you can do to add the most value for your customers. This will lead to better alignment between buyers and sellers and will put both parties on the same side of the table.

  3. Customers Will Pay A Premium For Verified Results

    For years, buyer’s worked to convince sellers that price was all that mattered. After years of disappointment from the low bidder, savvy buyers realize that results matter. Let’s face it, if you paid half price but didn’t get what you needed, it probably wasn’t a good deal. In 2015, top performing sellers will develop skills to demonstrate value and earn higher margins. Be thorough – top performing buyers will ensure they are getting superior value per invested dollar in a solution… not just lip service. Top companies in 2015 will know if they compete on value or price, and avoid the opportunities that are not a fit.

  4. New Marketing Strategies To Repel The Wrong Clients

    Precise strategies will prevail compared to shotgun approaches. In 2015, with improved alignment between sales and marketing, top performing companies will no longer waste time and resources trying to drive “views” or “clicks.” Instead, in 2015 the top companies will develop plans to attract the best customers. The elite companies will define what Marcus Sheridan calls “anti-personas” to know which customers will likely waste your time. Look for companies to define who is NOT a fit for them, not just who IS a fit. Management will start asking “Why are we speaking with them” more than “Why don’t we speak with them?”

  5. Interdisciplinary Workshops

    The best companies will recognize that the entire organization can contribute to valuable content, and each team member plays a role in selling. Look for companies to invest in interdisciplinary workshops that bring the entire company together to gain perspective on sales, marketing, and customer experience. No longer can you thrive with silos.

The best companies will recognize that the entire organization can contribute to valuable content, and each team member plays a role in selling. Look for companies to invest in interdisciplinary workshops that bring the entire company together to gain perspective on sales, marketing, and customer experience. No longer can you thrive with silos.

Which Trend Did I Leave Out?

Please share your prediction for a 2015 trend. I’m also curious to hear if you agree or disagree with my trends.

 

Bio: Ian Altman is an internationally sought after speaker and two-time bestselling author on how to grow business with integrity. He grew his own services businesses from zero to values in excess of $1 billion. You can read Ian’s weekly articles on Forbes.com or GrowMyRevenue.com