Market-Defining Study Reveals Only One In 10 Sales Organizations Are Fully Evolved In Their Use Of Technology To Engage Buyers
Companies that Meet the Criteria of Evolved Selling Achieve Stronger Customer Loyalty, Higher Revenue Growth and Sustained Market Leadership
CHICAGO, Oct. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a first-of-its-kind market analysis conducted by Forrester Consulting, business-to-business (B2B) sales organizations can gain a significant competitive advantage by successfully implementing an Evolved Selling model – the use of enterprise software to deliver dynamic, interactive sales presentations with real-time, customer insights. However, only 11 percent of companies have embraced the technology solutions necessary to achieve Evolved Selling. The study was unveiled today at the Forrester B2B Marketing conference by Mediafly, the leading enterprise software company providing a scalable platform solution enabling Evolved Selling for front-line sales organizations.
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The Forrester Consulting study, How B2B Sellers Win in the Age of the Customer, included surveys of both B2B buyers and sellers to evaluate a range of selling models – from Static to Evolved – and to understand the impact each model has on buyer behaviors and business results. In a Static Selling model, sellers use email, intranet sites or corporate portals to find and prepare content prior to a meeting, and compile it in a presentation like PowerPoint. In contrast, an Evolved Selling model allows sellers to use a buyer-centric approach through four key capabilities:
- Dynamic: ability to assemble and present content from various sources on the fly
- Interactive: ability for the seller to capture input from the buyer to guide the discussion
- Data-driven insights: ability to pull specific data in real time from various sources (e.g., subscription service like Nielsen or internal database such as a customer relationship management (CRM) system), revealing relevant insights
- CRM feedback: ability to capture and analyze how specific content or interactions impact sales results within a company's existing customer relationship management platform
"This study has validated what we've witnessed working with front-line sales and marketing organizations of leading global companies of all sizes across many industries," said Carson Conant, chief executive officer of Mediafly. "Evolved Selling facilitates shorter sales cycles that result in bigger contracts and more loyal customers. Companies that adopt all four Evolved Selling capabilities deliver efficient growth and lead their industries."
The study showed that Evolved Sellers are more effective at increasing deal velocity, reporting that they closed 43 percent more deals than Static Sellers. In addition, Evolved Sellers experience an 82 percent lift in buyers likely to consider them for new opportunities and a 70 percent lift in buyers purchasing more than they initially scoped.
Most importantly, the impact of evolved selling extends beyond an individual salesperson's metrics or quota performance. Nearly two out of three companies who use Evolved Selling reported year-over-year revenue growth of 10 percent or more. In addition, Evolved Selling organizations are significantly more likely than ones who use Static Selling to command and sustain market leadership over the competition.
"In order to transform from Static to Evolved Selling and remain relevant and competitive in today's marketplace, sales and marketing leaders need to re-evaluate their enablement strategies and supporting tools," said Conant. "Companies that invest in an Evolved Selling platform, like Mediafly, will benefit from loyal relationships that drive sustainable growth."
"Unfortunately, most of today's sales forces are ill equipped to sell in a dynamic, insights-driven, and non-linear fashion," said Mary Shea, Ph.D., principal analyst at Forrester Research. "B2B sellers need to be armed with a new type of selling solution that enables them to be nimble and engaging in their customer interactions."
To see a summary infographic of the topline results or download the full study go to www.HowB2BSellersWin.com.
About Mediafly
Mediafly is an enterprise software company that has worked with some of the most respected global sales organizations, including PepsiCo, MillerCoors and GE Healthcare to implement Evolved SellingTM and successfully drive better business results. The Mediafly Evolved Selling PlatformTM aligns with every sales training methodology and is a proven technology for helping field sales organizations deliver a dynamic, interactive, insightful buying experience that ties seamlessly back to CRM. For the third year in a row, Mediafly has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the top 5000 fastest-growing private companies in the US. Mediafly commissioned Forrester Consulting to initiate the market analysis of How B2B Sellers Win in the Age of the Customer at the beginning of Q3 2016.
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