The COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses to rapidly adapt their sales and marketing strategies to account for the new reality of a largely remote workforce. For many companies, this has meant shifting their focus to digital lead generation and inside sales. While these changes were initially driven by necessity, they are likely to have a lasting impact on the future of sales. 

 

Moreover, as businesses have seen the benefits of digital lead generation and inside sales, such as increased efficiency and lower customer acquisition costs, there is a good chance that these methods will become the new norm even after the pandemic ends.

 

In this blog post, we will discuss the Top 3 predictions on how these areas of marketing will evolve in the next few years. 

 

1. Expanded strategies for communication with prospects

In the early days, cold calling was the trend to communicate with prospects, where every rep made 150 plus dials per day. Moreover, in recent times a report states that almost 67% of customers’ journeys are now digitized [source]. 

 

This clearly states that the future of generating leads will be dictated by the inside sales and marketing team with an active multichannel approach to marketing. In addition, customers are always glued to smartphones increasing mobile searches and preferring contacts through social media and the latest technologies on recent trends. 

 

So, companies are forced to find a way to interact with the device, and if you don’t have one, you may be a step behind.

 

Related: How Will Sales Engagements Change In The Future?

 

2. Dedication defines success

As marketers know, social media has become increasingly influential in recent years, and this trend is only expected to continue. This is because customers spend more time online and are exposed to a greater variety of marketing messages than ever. As a result, they are leaving B2B marketers and inside sales to use multiple touch points to close deals. 

 

Moreover, in the future, every salesperson who was measured by the number of dials will be measured by the number of social accounts they influence. Thus creating pressure for the companies to hire and train dedicated salespersons.

 

Also, the number of dedicated inside sales companies has increased by more than doubled between 2010-2015, according to a report [source]. This rise will undoubtedly keep growing with companies that can focus 100% on increasing customers. So, have a look for a dedicated inside sales company to define your success.

 

3. Machine learning and AI keep changing the customer experience

As stated in Gartner’s report, 25% of the customer service and support operations will be integrated with virtual and chatbot technology in sales engagement channels by 2020! [source] This made marketers start using software programs that help them to manage their customer relationships across multiple channels.

 

On the other hand, highly integrated CRM platforms were designed to provide marketers with a holistic view of the customer journey throughout the sales cycle. 

 

In addition, machine learning and AI also help businesses to automate repetitive tasks, freeing up employees to focus on more creative tasks. Finally, as machine learning and AI evolve, the customer experience will become more seamless and efficient. 

 

So if you want to stay ahead of the competition, keep an eye on the latest technology stack developments. 

 

Related: How Marketing Automation Improves Inside Sales Productivity

 

Wrapping up, marketers must look ahead at least five years to ensure they use the most effective methods for lead generation and inside sales. To stay ahead, you must constantly think about new and innovative ways to reach customers. Finally, if you want your company to succeed long-term, planning for the future is essential.