The tides of B2B sales are shifting. The traditional sales techniques involving aggressive sales pitches and persistent follow-ups are gradually fading into the backdrop. In today's digital age, buyers are increasingly inclined to conduct their research. Often, they would go through 3 to 5 pieces of content before even contemplating a conversation with a sales representative.

This indicates a significant shift in the B2B sales paradigm – from a sales-centric approach to a buyer enablement one. But how can sales leaders adapt to this transition and provide information in a format that resonates with the buyers? The answer lies in asynchronous sales.

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Unraveling Asynchronous Sales

Asynchronous sales is a model of non-face-to-face sales communication involving a time lag between the buyer and the seller interactions. This model typically encompasses emails, Slack messages, DMs, texts, and personalized videos.

Sales communication has always had an element of asynchronicity, with emails and files being exchanged between the buyer and the seller. However, the key sales discussions, from the discovery phase to the close, traditionally took place synchronously, either in a meeting or a call.

The advent of the internet, coupled with the immense availability of informational resources online, has led to a significant shift in the B2B buying process. Today, buyers are in the driving seat, conducting independent research and internal team discussions before considering a purchase.

Indeed, buyers are now steering the sales process, and they're looking for more than just sales conversations. They're seeking unique insights and advice that they can take back to their teams. This shift necessitates a new approach to sales, one that embraces asynchronous communication, replacing traditional meetings and calls with Looms, Slack messages, DMs, and texts.

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The Power Shift to Buyers

The modern sales process is all about making it easy, convenient, and accessible for the buyer. However, this new approach to virtual selling also implies that sellers need to adopt an educational role. They need to curate and personalize information for a buyer, making their decision-making process more straightforward.

Interestingly, a study by McKinsey reveals that 71% of consumers expect a personalized experience when purchasing a product. By hand-picking information that directly addresses the buyer's needs, sellers can guide them towards their solution in a supportive and organic manner.

Moreover, the overall experience a company provides is as important as its product or services for a whopping 88% of customers. Therefore, sales teams should strive to curate the best possible experience for their buyers from the get-go.

This approach allows buyers to engage with sales reps at their convenience, rather than being bound by meeting schedules. Stephen Ruff, Co-Founder of Champify, believes that providing buyers with information early in the conversation can yield positive results.

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Pros and Cons of Asynchronous Sales

Asynchronous sales offer a plethora of benefits:

• Sales reps can engage with more buyers in less time as they're not tied to real-time conversations.
• Buyers can make informed decisions at their pace, without the pressure of a sales pitch.
• Sales conversations become more productive, with a focus on education and information sharing.

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Most importantly, asynchronous sales facilitate buyer enablement, reducing barriers for your buyers to make a purchase.

However, this approach also has its challenges:

• Information curation can be overwhelming for buyers, especially with the plethora of communication channels at their disposal.
• Communication over emails, texts, and DMs can lead to fragmented information.
• Sellers have to rely on the buyer champion to disseminate information among stakeholders, as opposed to being in a meeting where they can gauge who is listening.

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Despite these challenges, several companies have recognized the shift to multi-channel selling tactics.

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"Prior to the pandemic, our sales team relied heavily on in-person meetings to generate leads and close deals. But with the advent of remote work and social distancing, we had to pivot to asynchronous sales strategies. We now communicate with prospects across multiple channels," said Maria Harutyunyan, co-founder of Loopex Digital.

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Curating Content for Asynchronous Sales

In the world of asynchronous sales, having the right curation tools can make all the difference. That's where trumpet steps in. Trumpet consolidates all relevant materials into a digital sales room (or Pods), simplifying the sales process and making it easier for buyers to stay organized and informed.

Trumpet's Pods provide a seamless experience for your buyers. Sales reps can create a hyper-personalized microsites for each prospect, equipped with all the sales collateral and information they need to convince their decision-makers to buy.

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Tips for Selling Asynchronously

Selling asynchronously hinges upon collaboration. Here are some best practices to keep your buyers engaged when selling asynchronously.

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1. Utilize asynchronous product demos

Consider using asynchronous tools to create product demos tailored to your buyers' specific needs, which they can watch at their convenience. Tools like Storylane and Arcade are excellent for crafting interactive, async product demos.

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2. Leverage asynchronous videos

Tools like Loom and meeting recordings can be used to create personalized videos for buyers. These videos can directly address your buyers' pain points and provide them with the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions.

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3. Implement mutual action plans

Mutual action plans keep the buying and selling teams aligned by clarifying responsibilities, actions, key dates, timelines, and defining a successful deal.

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4. Align sales content with buying jobs-to-be-done

A robust sales enablement strategy involves providing prospects with the right sales collateral at every stage of their journey.

According to Gartner, there are six buying jobs to be done for the buyer to be satisfied with their purchase and finalize the deal.

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5. Personalize at scale

Every customer is unique, and every sales cycle is different. Therefore, personalizing your outreach, demos, and collateral is crucial.

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Embracing Asynchronous Sales

The shift towards asynchronous sales is here to stay, and sales leaders need to adapt and embrace this new approach. By providing the buyer with the right information, sales leaders can empower them to make an informed decision on their own time.