What Top Sales Experts Think Will Be Trending in 2020

It's still early in the year, meaning that there's still time to see what kind of sales trends and new technologies will be emerging. As a sales leader, it's important to be able to think on your feet and adapt to shifts in the industry that could have huge effects on your sales strategy.

But that doesn't mean that you should sit around waiting for those changes to come. If you want to remain competitive, then it is important that you do your research and anticipate any upcoming shifts and trends. Here are some sales predictions for 2020 that have been provided by top sales experts in the industry.

Increase in Social Selling

It looks like social selling will continue to be a large focus for companies in 2020. This trend has been increasing over the last few years as more and more businesses make developing relationships using social media a big part of their sales strategy.

There will likely be a rise in video content being created by and shared on social networks like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Reps are likely going to include video and audio messages in their written messages as part of the sales cadence.

Return of Cold Calling

By the end of 2019, there was a rise in interest in using cold calling as a part of a sales strategy. "Cold calling" is becoming a popular search term, and it seems like companies are seeking ways to master the technique.

Content marketing, inbound leads, and mass emailing just aren't working as well as good old cold calling. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that customers are attracted to more personalized approaches to selling.

More Personalized Sales Strategies

Continuing on from the above trend, there is a growing need for sales to be more personalized. Generic outreach using email, SMS, and social media, just isn't resonating with buyers - if anything, all this does is just make the world noisier for them. 

Buyers are attracted to genuine experiences, which is why there is a shift in sales tactics to focus on creating true personal connections with them. Customers want authenticity, and sales strategies in 2020 should focus on how to make selling a more one-on-one experience.

A Shift in Motivation Tactics

The typical methods for motivating sales reps are to encourage competition or offer money and incentives. But more companies have begun to realize that motivation goes beyond that - it also means creating an environment where people feel inspired and where they can tap into their intrinsic motivation. 

What's most important is building the foundation: giving them a purpose, skin in the game, and the support they need to succeed.

What Are Your 2020 Plans?

Do any of these trends sound like something you can adopt into your 2020 sales strategy? What are your plans going into the year, and what approach are you going to take to give yourself an advantage over the competition?

Keep doing your research, and you're sure to find something that resonates with you.