Finding the Right Vibe: How Conversation Intelligence Boosts B2B Sales
Learn from Debra Cancro how conversational intelligence tech helps B2B sales reps become self-aware of their communication skills to close better deals.
B2B sales reps must exude competence and confidence when closing a deal. And sales reps should have self-awareness in their communication skills. So, how can they gain an understanding of it? Debra Cancro, SVP of Data Products, Bigtincan, shares how conversation intelligence tech can help.
For sales reps, there is no substitute for strong and savvy communication skills. The ability to convey competence and confidence during interactions with prospects is paramount to the art of closing a deal. The ripple effects of pandemic-driven swings in buyer preferences have narrowed the window for meaningful engagement between sellers and prospects. According to Gartner, B2B customers spend less than a quarter of their buyer’s journeys interacting with sales reps. And considering the average deal often involves multiple suppliers, an individual sales rep will only receive roughly 5% of that prospect’s time throughout the entire buying journey.
Amid the reduced frequency of face-to-face interactions, sellers must be positioned to maximize every opportunity to leave a lasting impression on their prospects. Whether a virtual sales pitch or a physical sales lunch, the more authentic and approachable a seller sounds, the more receptive their prospect will be towards them. When establishing buyer trust, the quality of your “vibe” is everything.
Most sellers are already aware of that fact. However, what may not be as obvious is that the tone of their voice can directly affect both creating or blocking those vibe-worthy connections. A 2019 market research study conducted by my former organization, VoiceVibes, now a Bigtincan company, showed a 13-fold increase in the listener’s willingness to buy when the speaker’s tone of voice sounded confident and authentic. When an “extremely captivating” vibe was evident, respondents said they believed the speaker 96% of the time. And while using the VoiceVibes AI-powered voice coaching platform, speakers improved their oral delivery by an average of 20%. More than 80% reported a noticeable improvement the next time they delivered a talk, presentation or speech.
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From a seller’s perspective, the findings highlighted the importance of self-awareness in their own communication skills. To perform their jobs well, sales professionals must understand how their verbal communication is perceived in prospects’ eyes (and ears). That understanding can be gained through the power of AI-powered sales enablement tools like conversation intelligence, which automates the tracking, analysis and measuring of verbal communication to better understand the vibes sales reps exude during their professional interactions. Through the integrated adoption of conversation intelligence, B2B organizations can develop buyer-ready sales teams positioned to transform new prospects into loyal customers for sustained revenue growth.
Polished Sales Presentations and Pitches
A sales enablement solution containing AI-powered conversation intelligence technology can allow reps to get proactive about elevating the impact and delivery of their buyer engagement. Let us use a traditional sales pitch as an example. Leveraging machine learning functionality and a vast proprietary data set, the platform can analyze the audio recording of that pitch and, in turn, generate specific feedback about how an audience would perceive it. This can be done with predetermined descriptors ranging from personable to pushy, belligerent to boring, condescending to captivating, and more.
It can also generate scoring metrics based on the seller’s vocal clarity, speaking pace, pausing, and filler word usage, as well as identify when engagement levels were highest or lowest during the entire interaction. This scalable and objective feedback provides customer-facing reps with actionable insights to help polish the intricacies of their sales pitches. And by working to incorporate the insights into future pitches, sellers can increase the likelihood that their go-to messaging is well-received and produces better outcomes.
Personalized Coaching and Training
According to McKinsey & Company, outperforming sales organizations commit to nearly 80% more coaching and are 57% more likely to tailor their training programs for personalization than industry peers. However, large numbers of reps per team, coupled with the industry’s fast-paced nature, have made it nearly impossible for managers to provide personalized attention to each individual sales rep consistently.
This is where conversation intelligence can serve as an invaluable tool by providing automated guidance at a scale that enables managers to expand their reach with personalized, data-driven remote coaching for their entire team. Not only does it ensure sellers are delivering pitches and presentations that are on-message, but also that they are doing so in a manner that exudes confidence, displays subject matter expertise, and maximizes the likelihood of a sale.
The future of conversation intelligence for sales enablement is bright amid the acceleration of Web 3.0 technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR).
- Virtual Reality (VR): An immersive, fully rendered digital environment that replaces the user’s real-world environment
- Augmented Reality (AR): An interactive experience overlaying digitally-enhanced content into the user’s real-world environment
- Mixed Reality (MR): A seamless blend of both AR and VR in which physical and virtual environments co-exist, allowing the user to interact with both in real-time
Just like conversation intelligence is currently used throughout the physical world, the AI-enabled tool can also be utilized inside virtual sales rooms and virtual coaching rooms that exist within the Metaverse.
See More: How to Leverage AI To Win in Today’s B2B Selling Environment
Evolving Strategies for Evolving Customers
Conversation intelligence gets better as it gains more data. As machine learning models develop greater insight into what drives a successful sale, a more nuanced understanding of what works and what does not is developed. Over time, as buyer preferences continue to change, sales reps can identify what messaging and customer-facing content pushed the deal over the finish line. These real-time insights can then be communicated across the organization, leading to more effective and efficient processes for the entire sales team.
This accelerates the rate at which sales reps learn about their customer base. Advanced conversation intelligence methods even gauge the “vibe” of the customer, showing when a customer is confused, uncomfortable, or excited by certain questions along the way. All of this happens in real-time and empowers teams to adjust to their customer’s “vibes” instantly, bringing a more comfortable, streamlined experience.
As tastes change, sellers must adapt to align with new omnichannel approaches to B2B sales. conversation intelligence leverages advanced analytics to stay ahead of the curve by not only providing real-time insight but also forging effective sales strategies for the future as well. The digital transformation of sales coaching is here. Will you capitalize on it?
How are you helping your sales reps become aware of their communication skills and improve them? Share with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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