Salesperson inequalities in the face of digitalization

The idea that digitalization and e-commerce are here to stay is not breaking news. With the advances made as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many strategists have been predicting that digital commerce will stay relevant in the coming years. Due to the quality of innovation and the convenience of working, shopping and relaxing from the safety of your home, almost everyone is pushing for better online presence and digitalization of all modes of business. But, this digitalization reveals inequalities for different demographics. We wanted to share with you a great article that discusses this, based on a study done by HubSpot. You can find a translated version of the article below or click here to view the original article in French.

COVID-19: Unequal salespersons in the face of digitalization

The pandemic has shaken up the organization of work. Sales teams had to use digital tools to keep in touch with customers and prospects. A HubSpot study reveals the inequalities of salespeople when it comes to digital tools based on their age or gender and advocates for a review of GRC strategies and tools.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives: society, the economy, but also the way we work. Commercial activities were greatly impacted: no more appointments with customers or restaurants, trade fairs, conferences… In short, anything that made it possible to create a link with prospects! Sales forces – like all economic players – had to adapt to these new constraints and digitize their prospecting.

“There will be no return to normalcy of the world before, the mechanisms put in place as a matter of urgency will continue,” said Julia Cames, Marketing Director of HubSpot France. “Companies will therefore design business strategies, but also new ways of organizing work over the long term and more simply – under the pressure of an emergency.”

However, this shift to digital prospecting has been happening at varying rates and degrees depending on the profiles of the salespeople, reveals the recently released HubSpot Sales Enablement study. The most impacted by this use of digital prospecting are the men who, before the pandemic, largely favored making contact during physical meetings, for example, at professional events (44% against 29% for women ) or at less formal occasions, such as a sporting event or at a bar (21% vs. 11%). The differences in commercial approaches also revealed – unsurprisingly – differences depending on age groups. “The pandemic has highlighted the inequality of generations in the face of digital technology,” says Julia Cames. Before the health crisis, salespeople over 55 mostly prospected via phone calls (56%) or during formal events (50%), 18-34 year-olds primarily used video calls (28%), messaging (25% via Whatsapp) and social networks, mainly LinkedIn (18%). The study also reveals that 43% of salespeople had still not participated in a virtual event in May 2021 … Here again, the generation gap is very clear: 62% of 18-34s had participated against only 33% of over 55 year olds.

“Organizations must support their employees in the face of these major changes,” recommends HubSpot in its study. At a minimum, companies should consider the benefits they can derive from teleworking and telesales by expanding the organization’s talent pool. Removing barriers to equality is a decisive step towards a more positive work environment that promotes performance.

“If the health crisis has boosted digital uses (+ 50% consultation of websites and + 28% opening of emails), the fundamental question is: How to achieve customer loyalty amidst the strong ambient noise?” Julia Cames asks. “Companies have discovered the effectiveness of customer relationship management (CRM) tools for their sales, marketing and customer service teams,” says HubSpot. CRM tools “allow you to create a 360° overview of the customer journey and make customer communication more connected. With emails, texts and other forms of written communication having taken hold during the pandemic, CRM platforms have become indispensable and provide customers with the rapid responses they expect while ensuring a quality experience,” concludes the HubSpot study.

This article was originally published based on a study by HubSpot on www.strategies.fr

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