Jul 11, 20218:46 PM - edited Aug 12, 202110:39 AM
HubSpot Employee
What makes inbound sales different?
Inbound sales transforms sales to match the way people buy. It's all about meeting prospects where they are and helping them move toward a purchasing decision. Is this different from the way you're used to approaching sales, or have you been doing sales in this way but calling it something else? Leave your thoughts in the comments about how inbound sales is similar to or different from the way you've been doing sales.
Inbound sales to me is up close and personal. It gives you a closer look into the buyers intent and persona, which gives you the ability to match products to the customers specific needs. With inbound sales it is all about research. If you know the consumers/customers buying habits, demographics, ect., it gives you a better idea of who they are and what they are looking for. You can then use those needs to guide the customer during the sales process.
It is the same way I do as a sales professional. Before connecting with prospects I do active research and prepare buyer personally and study prosect's social media behavior.
These terms are actually new to me as I've only started to learn about sales, wanting to shift to a different career or connecting it to my present career. I've learned that inbound sales are more contextual and offers a more connected approach to its buyers. Thank you for this lesson!
When I first started sales, people mentioned Zig Ziglar. Inbound is the 2021 method to sales. When working with a fortune 500 company, knowing what the marketers are thinking is crucial in this day.
I believe that inbound sales is majorly about meeting potential customers where they are, at a confused state or a state where they haven't decided on what to do and leading them to where they can make a buying decision
With such a broad ways of contacting prospective clients and my biggest skill of thinking outside of the box I have been able to get my company a large amount of new clients by simply doing things different and not using conventional ways of contacting
In my company, I believe we've been doing inbound sales ever since it wasn't just called that term. My own term for the sales work that we practice is "empathic salesmanship".
Hello, I have worked in sales for many years and the methodology we used to use, is called consultative sales. So far, It seems similar to Inbound sales, but I imagine that I'll be learning more through the course.
Comparing inbound sales to Copywriting, I'll say that inbound focuses on just one prospect, volume isn't considered hence everything is personalised as against Copywriting which aims to convert many on a one-to-many basis
I guess I have more of a question - I find that establishing a holistic inbound sales program seems like it might take a while to really get going - but I'm at a startup that needs to start making progress towards agressive sales goals now. Does anyone have any advice on navigating starting an inbound strategy while still meeting the sales needs that your company/team has today? I'm very curious about how to start this without having to wait months to build the program before bringing in new business... Maybe that's short sighted, but in the end metrics = funding!
Great question. This is the big fear for the consumer; something that might be quick to market, but don't have the adequate tools or advisers in place. I've seen when businesses go to quickly too soon, they either fail to deliver, or the delivery is not up to the brand promise. If you do happen to move quickly and sell a lot TO THE RIGHT CLIENTS, then an experienced marketing agency with a STRONG SALES LEADER might be able to help you, but you will be paying big bucks for their support.
This is my 2 cents, and I hope it was helpful towards a real problem.
This is a very important question! I hope someone who has been in your situation weighs in, but here's my take:
The literal "inbound" parts of inbound sales do take a long time to build--and you should build them, but they can take a few months to start paying off. However, the inbound philosophy of focusing on your prospects' needs and treating them in a helpful, human, holistic way can be applied no matter what stage your sales process is in. Things like CGP, TCI, BA and personalized presentations will drive immediate results, even if you don't have an inbound lead generation engine setup yet. The most important thing for a startup sales team to do is set a good precident for the way prospects are viewed and treated. Are they people with problems that you can help solve, or are they potential sources of revenue? In reality, they're both, but if you focus on the people and problems, the revenue will come. If you think of them solely as potential revenue, they'll feel that, and you'll lose them. Worse, they'll tell their friends that your team is full of pushy salespeople, and it'll get harder for you to get appointments with people. But if your prospects have an excellent experience with your team, they'll spread good will that will bring more prospects to you. And that, more than anything else, will help your company acquire customers and build revenue.
Very relevant and foundational topics. Building a solid ground and keeping your lanes straight provides that consistent experience, provides value in an ethical manner, and confidence in your product/service. If you are having geniune interactions with your customers, they will teach you everything you need to build an effective inbound.
Inbound sales is a sales method that prioritizes the needs. Instead of focusing on closing the sale as soon as possible, inbound sales work to meet potential buyers where they are and then guide them to the solution.
It is about identifying the customer, finding and asking information on them, finding their problems or what they would like to improve and showing them the options for solving the problem, thus, leading to a purchase.
Inbound is highly personalized. You are spending time on the person and what is important to them. You are also positioning yourself as the expert and they are coming to you for your expert advise. The deeper your commitment to a succesful experience the deeper the connection will be. Even if the product ends up not being for them, the connection was so well done they want to keep you in mind for others in their circle. Brava!
