Hybrid model set to be most dominant sales strategy by 2021 –McKinsey & Co.

Initially an adaptation to the pandemic, hybrid selling is off to be cemented as the standard sales strategy, management consulting firm McKinsey & Co.’s recent study reveals. 

Based on a study conducted by the firm, hybrid sales drive up to 50 percent more revenue by enabling broader, deeper customer engagement and unlocking a more diverse talent pool than more traditional models.

The study underscores that it is very clear that business-to-business (B2B) customers demand from suppliers more channels, more convenience, and a more personalized experience. They want the right mix of in-person interactions, remote contact via phone or video, and e-commerce self-service across the purchasing journey. 

“Adjusting to this new dynamic requires B2B organizations to shift from “traditional” and “inside” sales to “hybrid” in order to move with the customer.” an article on the study read. 

According McKinsey’s B2B Pulse research data, more than 90 percent of enterprises plan to sustain the changes made to their sales force structure over the past year to enable hybrid. 

Customers want to be served in this manner, and sellers want flexibility in how they work. To achieve these goals and optimize sales ROI, B2B sales organizations will need to continue their shift to a hybrid, remote-first model and embrace four proven success factors.

The emergence of omnichannel

Hybrid selling creates an environment for customer journey across multiple touchpoint. More than just a remote call center with salespeople working out of their home offices, hybrid selling is a flexible, scalable—and frequently more profitable—way to reach buyers. It utilizes a combination of channels, including remote and e-commerce, to serve customers where they prefer to buy. Because of its omnichannel nature, it enables broader and deeper real-time customer engagement.

Remote-first model

McKinsey points out that sales teams are also growing a sense of comfortability with a remote-first model. It seems that the days of field work for sales professionals are long gone. Digital engagement works just as good, largely due to better technology connectivity.

Greater reach, greater growth

Omnichannels and remote-first work model also allow companies to get more reach. Geographical distance is no longer a limitation.The most compelling reason why remote sales is here to stay is that it works. Remote sales reps can reach four times as many accounts in the same amount of time and generate up to 50 percent more revenue. 

McKinsey & Co. advises companies that are transitioning to hybrid B2B model take the following into account:

Agility – Go remote where possible and where customers prefer it—but don’t abandon in-person sales completely.

Insights: Harness customer and seller insights end-to-end. The need for sales representatives to log accurate and detailed information into customer-relationship management (CRM) systems does not disappear in a hybrid setting, but the efforts yield a higher return, the study revealed.. 

Technology – Optimize tech for a remote-first environment. The pandemic has given rise to increasing use of a vast number of excellent technology tools that sales teams can deploy to their advantage—while also delighting customers across all stages of the funnel. 

Talent – Cultivate next-gen sales capabilities and attract more diverse talent by becoming a learning organization. As sales structures have evolved, so have traditional sales roles, such as field sales and inside sales, with many settling into a hybrid approach. 

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