Sales Predictions 2016: Five Trends to Watch

Selling is a competitive sport. There is no greater thrill than closing a major deal and beating a top competitor in the process. But like a sport, staying on top requires constant training, practice, and refinement. To improve their chances of closing deals, sales professionals need to stay one step ahead of the competition—from the technologies they use to the techniques they employ and the trends that affect their performance.

2016 will usher in a combination of new technologies, training methods, and internal collaboration that will empower innovative sales organizations to achieve increased top-line growth. Here are the five game-changing trends that will permeate the sales world in the New Year.

#1: Social Selling Will Become a Sales Requisite

Modern sales representatives have been experimenting with social selling for years, but it is quickly becoming the new bar to distinguish sales stars from underperformers. Soon, all sales reps will use social media to identify, research and engage with prospects.

More than 70 percent of salespeople use social media to outperform their peers. The valuable information that customers and prospects share on social media helps sales reps uncover more engagement opportunities and personalize their communication when reaching out to prospects. Social media power users also stimulate engagement with potential customers through the creation and curation of valuable content, which further increases sales opportunities. In 2016, social selling will finally become mainstream to the extent that the label “social” will get dropped and the practice will simply become known as “selling.”

Read Mark’s full post on the ATD Sales Enablement Blog