𝗪𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘂𝗳 𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗺 𝗴𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝗴… a business associate told me…
And he’s right. When I look at the 𝗕𝗮𝘂- 𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲, then a great deal has truly happened in recent years when it comes to digitalization. Processes on construction sites are increasingly being streamlined with digital tools. The use of construction machinery is increasingly being planned and optimized via software. The machines are equipped with GPS, tracking software, sensors, and cameras. By now, construction machinery is essentially rolling computers that are increasingly capable of operating autonomously. An impressive development…
But when it comes to marketing, things quickly go back to the analog way.
Business is still conducted between two people—after various phone calls, meetings, and emails. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a standard machine or one that requires highly complex configuration.
I hear time and again that the new equipment business, in particular, requires face-to-face conversations. The sales representative is the link to the customer, they say. There are connections that have grown over the years and need to be nurtured. All of that is certainly true! But doing one thing doesn’t mean neglecting the other.
It’s also true that in other areas, sales of new business have been optimized through digital channels.
𝗔𝘂𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻 that offer additional features and make buying and selling easier and more efficient. We’ve seen so many innovations in the B2C sector that we wouldn’t want to do without anymore. And why shouldn’t that work in the B2B sector?
That’s why the initiative by 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘂𝘁𝟮𝟰 and 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲.𝗱𝗲 seems downright groundbreaking. They’ve started offering new car sales through their portals. This sector, too, has long been considered highly consultation-intensive. I’m very curious to see how it will develop.
Will sales representatives become less important in the future? No, I certainly don’t think so. On the contrary! Due to digitized systems, a different, complementary set of skills is now in demand. Sales representatives will increasingly take on an advisory and support role! Digital tools will help them perform their tasks more efficiently.
Everything is in flux and continues to evolve…
