Traditional sales methods are still considered the most effective, a survey has revealed.
The sales industry has been revolutionised in recent years by business potential in the digital market. Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook are increasingly being used for viral marketing and business generation.
It may come as a shock therefore, that a survey conducted by Aaron Wallis, a sales recruitment agency has revealed that sales professionals almost unanimously favour conventional methods of selling. When asked to rate in order of one to five which methods of sales were the most effective, 94% of sales professionals placed non-digital methods the highest, at number one.
Of the 644 respondents only 3% would consider social networking the most effective form of selling. A further 3% favour online meetings/webinars and teleconferences.
By contrast, an overwhelming 82% still believe that that the best way to make a sale is through a face to face meeting. This research may raise questions in the sales industry about whether the internet is as integral to the modern sales industry as many would have us believe.
Rob Scott, the Managing Director of Aaron Wallis has done considerable research into the use of online methods of business generation.
He said: “The Internet is without a doubt one of the most powerful tools available to any sales professional for research and managing contacts. However, the adage ‘people buy from people’ still remains. With the advent of Twitter, Facebook and the like for business development, we are on the cusp of change in the way that we develop business but this survey confirms that face-to-face selling is still the most powerful method”.
Exhibitions, Telesales Networking Events, and Marketing campaigns all received a higher proportion of respondents who rated them above social networking as a method of business development.
The number of sales professionals who consider exhibitions as the most effective form of selling has in fact risen since a similar survey was conducted in 2007. Surprisingly, exhibitions have replaced telesales as the second most effective method of business development.
Rob Scott – Aaron Wallis Sales Recruitment
[simplyjobs site_url=”https://www.simplysalesjobs.co.uk/” placement=”post” site_name=”Simply Sales Jobs” username=”SEO_TEAM” password=”fmgseo” feed_identifier=”blog_ssj_all” ][/simplyjobs]
Is jobhunting just like dating?
Ever noticed how a jobhunt is a lot like dating? There are a number of reasons why the stress of a job search can be compared to courting. In this blog post, we discuss why, and we hear from David Wiseman, a leader in digital brand reputation...
The busy sales consultant’s guide to being kind to yourself
In the fast-paced world of sales, it’s become increasingly important to be more proactive in taking care of yourself and your mental well being. As we’re a caring bunch over here at Simply Sales, we’ve compiled our top 7 quick tips on how to be...
How to write your resignation letter
Thinking about resigning? Maybe you’ve been thinking about it for a while now, but you’re not 100% sure how to go about it… If you are ready to resign, preparing a short, informative resignation letter to your manager is the first step to take....
