Inbound marketing is a methodology that allows you to get closer to your customers and gain their trust naturally, without resorting to invasive techniques. In recent years its popularity has grown like wildfire, and now HubSpot has proposed a complementary methodology that turns our way of selling on its head: inbound sales.
The inbound sales methodology improves commercial results by transforming the way we sell and adapting to the new ways of buying by digital users. Without a doubt, it is a system that you should know if you are dedicated to digital marketing, so in this article we are going to explain what it consists of, how it works and what it can give you.
Inbound marketing and inbound sales: what does each one consist of?
He inbound marketing It is a methodology that consists of attracting internet users who have not yet been in contact with our brand to make them visit our site, become leads and later become our clients. It also includes a post-purchase step, which is delight to these customers so that they become ambassadors of the brand.
Compared to other “push” methodologies, which are based on actively sending messages to users who have not normally requested them, what inbound marketing seeks is attract users to the brand so that they discover it naturally, for example, by creating content that responds to the doubts and concerns of the brand’s potential customers.
In the same way, the methodology inbound sales seeks to give a twist to the traditional way of selling. In the past, sales was about chasing potential customers until they basically had no choice but to pay attention, relying on techniques like cold calls, mass emails, or brochures. The aim is not to help the consumer, but simply to make noise until they hear us.
On the contrary, inbound sales seeks personalize the shopping experience and provide value to the consumer at all times. Instead of chasing potential customers, the brand positions itself as an ally that helps them solve their problems.
If inbound marketing is based on attracting potential customers to our website, inbound sales seeks to ensure that they themselves approach us to arrange a meeting with the sales team, instead of us having to go to them. to ask you to dedicate your time to us.
What can inbound sales bring to your company?
-
More quality. Traditional sales methodologies are based on quantity: we send mass messages to many users in the hope that a few will respond, which is a waste of time and resources. Instead, the inbound sales methodology focuses on identifying users who really fit the brand and offering them exactly what they need. This greatly increases the chances of closing a conversion and therefore makes much better use of company resources.
-
Open and horizontal communication. Inbound sales is based on the dialogue between two interlocutors. It is no longer about the company releasing an intrusive monologue, but about creating a relationship in which both parties are enriched. In today’s digital environment, monolithic business communication no longer works, and inbound sales is an alternative whose results are much better.
-
Trust and loyalty. The inbound sales methodology is based on knowing the client and offering solutions to their problems. The customer feels heard, and this makes the relationship with the brand much more fluid. And in the end, this relationship translates into long-term repeat purchases and recommendations.
-
Better customization. Instead of sending generic messages, communication is truly tailored to the needs and pain points of each consumer. The user feels understood and is much more likely to end up becoming a customer, since we are not generating noise with products that he does not really need.
How does the inbound sales methodology work?
The role of the seller
One of the most profound changes that the inbound sales methodology implies is that the role of the sales representative in the process changes radically.
These are some of the most notable characteristics of the traditional sellers u “outbound”:
-
They do not have a clear picture of the customer journey and do not know which users are active or might be interested in the product.
-
They contact potential clients through calls, mass emails and other “cold” messages, without having done prior qualification.
-
Your sales pitch is not personalized, that is, it is the same regardless of who you are addressing.
-
When the consumer shows interest, they are moved on to the next sales phase without exploring their particular needs.
-
Their biggest sales argument are discounts, promotions and offers, since they do not do the work of finding out what the customer really needs.
On the other hand, when we apply the inbound sales methodology, we go from having salespeople to inbound advisors, who are really focused on being useful to potential customers and not just the numbers. These are the fundamental differences compared to the outbound seller:
-
He inbound advisor Sales knows the customer journey perfectly and knows how to distinguish their buyer persona. In this way, it only contacts those users who are active and interested, multiplying the quality of interactions and the probabilities of success.
-
Find that the user contacts you proactively and the interaction is a dialogue, not a monologue. Listens to the needs of the other party and offers personalized advice to gain their trust.
-
The sales arguments are always based on know the client’s needs potential and to offer you the best solution for your needs. Be honest about what the customer really needs, even if it is not the most expensive product.
-
He sales process adjusts to the buyer’s schedule, and even to the communication channels that are most comfortable for you. In short, the inbound sales advisor puts the customer at the center.
The 4 phases of the inbound sales methodology
1) Identify
The inbound sales methodology moves away from sending mass messages and searches instead personalize interactions to the maximum. Therefore, the first thing we have to do is carefully identify and filter who we are addressing.
One of the pillars of inbound is the development of buyer personas, that is, customer profiles that go far beyond simple demographic data and focus on identifying the needs, behaviors and “pain points” of customers.
This first screening will help us ensure that we are attracting users potentially interested in our products and services. The next thing is to analyze visitor behavior to identify the most interesting potential customers.
Logically, the users who have interacted the most with our content will be the ones most likely to become customers. In the same way, depending on the type of interactions carried out, we will also be able to identify which specific products or solutions they are interested in.
In order to correctly manage all this information, the ideal is to have a CRM in which all the data and interactions of each contact are stored.
2) Connect
Once we have identified the potential customers most likely to convert, it is time to contact them.
In inbound sales, traditional sales strategies such as cold calls or emails are not used. Instead, in many cases it is the interested party himself who contacts us to request information.
In any case, contact must always be through a personalized message and under a contextsuch as the common interests or contacts of the sales advisor and the potential client.
3) Explore
If we have collected all the data from the user interactions, we will have a lot of information to draw on for an exploratory call or meeting.
In this contact, the inbound sales advisor uses what he knows about the client to make him feel comfortable and in control of the conversation. The objective is Identify what needs the client has and how our brand can help solve themin addition to working on the relationship based on trust.
4) Advise
Finally, at this point of knowledge of the lead, the inbound sales advisor will be in a position to recommend the product or service of the brand that best suits your needs and, if all goes well, close the sale.
Of course, the relationship between customer and brand does not end here, since the inbound methodology includes that very important final step of delighting the customer with excellent service so that they recommend us and continue feeding the sales cycle.