The Pandemic Changed The Buyer’s Journey, And You Need To Change With It

From a worldwide public health crisis to large numbers of the population leaving their jobs with no plans to return, the economy has taken a massive hit since the start of the pandemic. Businesses big and small have had to either adapt or die with the decrease of employees and in-person shopping. And because social distancing has become the norm, an increase in online purchases wasn’t too far behind. Consumers have always been the deciding factor for the success of businesses, but now they’re even more important than before.

If you want to get the upper hand on your sales numbers and enjoy a prosperous new year, you’d be wise to listen to the wisest counsel: consumers.

1. Ask how your buyers prefer to buy.

The buyer’s journey should never be seen as a static end-all, be-all to sales. Consumers are constantly evolving and choosing what methods suit them best. Continually improve the buyer’s journey by asking how consumers prefer to buy.

“Brands are expected to leverage data and analytics to provide exactly what customers want, when they want it,” notes Mark Thacker, president at Sales Xceleration. “Many factors (new competitors, new technologies, or shifts in the economy) can impact the buyer decision-making process. By constantly asking your buyers what their preferences are, you’ll keep a finger on the pulse of their tendencies and be in a position to adjust your strategy accordingly.”

The impersonal salesman who simply provides a service or good is no longer successful. By forming personalized connections with consumers, you can uncover what they value and what they prioritize.

2. Use new media marketing methods.

Social media, search engines, various forms of engaging content, and pay-per-click advertising are just some of the new marketing methods you can employ to attract and engage consumers. Consumers use social media to make connections, have conversations, follow trends, and find product reviews or information.

Consumers sometimes encounter your product through less interactive means, such as television spots, print ads, and word-of-mouth marketing. These methods can work, but you have less control over them.

But if consumers find your product on social media, they’ll consult search engines to find out more about the product and your company. They’ll also check social media comments for reviews, as well as review sites like Google Reviews, Yelp, and Consumer Reports. They’ll also be led to the product reviews on your product pages. These are touchpoints you can have more influence over.

3. Focus on retaining employees to manage turnover.

Millions of Americans have quit their jobs since the start of 2021. Many of them were in industries that kept our economy running, such as hospitality, public service, and healthcare. Without employees to keep operations running smoothly and bring in more business, many companies are struggling to survive.

The pandemic taught the American workforce about priorities, and their main priority is living a fulfilling life. It’s not that they suddenly decided that work doesn’t matter. Work pays bills. Work puts food on the table. Work puts people through school and buys clothes and pays for oil changes. It’s not the concept of work that they’ve abandoned; it’s the idea that they have to sacrifice their quality of life to make work, work.

To keep the employees you do have satisfied in 2022, learn why they’d leave and ask what it would take to keep them.

People leave companies that fail to fulfill their promises. People leave jobs where they feel overlooked, overloaded, or stifled by poor management. People want to be included and trusted. So when they are micromanaged, poorly managed, and are kept in the dark about their company’s activities, it creates a trust rift that can lead to their departure. Employees also want to know that their companies value them enough to invest in their development. When there are no training or job advancement opportunities and they see no reason to buy into the company’s purpose, they will find someplace else that provides what they’re demanding.

With the cost of living increasing, compensation is crucial. Being appreciated, recognized, and rewarded for a job well done in ways that matter is also important. However, offering the flexibility of time, prioritizing employee happiness, and respecting them not only as employees, but also as people are top factors in retaining your team.

Many workforce losses could’ve been avoided if businesses had paid attention to the true needs of employees. Work is no longer the activity that people prioritize above all else. They expect you to see them as people, not resources.

4. Review your contract management system.

Just as the buyer’s journey changes over time, so should your contract management system. Updating how you operate can influence how well your business performs in the coming years. Additionally, it can play an influential role in how you tackle unforeseen circumstances both inside and outside of your business.

Modern ways to store and manage contracts are more efficient, secure, and readily available because of digitization and automation. These steps lower or fully eliminate any risk of human error in how you collect and store information. However, the data within those contracts, and how it’s categorized and accessed, is also relevant to modernizing your management system.

A good contract management system should let you store standard contracts, oversee the creation and execution of new contracts, monitor compliance, manage data and activities throughout contracts’ lives, and store prices and budgets for each product line.

Reviewing and revamping your contract management system also means involving key stakeholders. When your legal, marketing, management, or other departments are included, it eliminates system access confusion and possible future silos. When it comes to consumers, integrating contract management with your customer relationship management system allows you to have faster, easier access to more accurate customer information.

No one should have to reinvent the wheel to survive this current change in economic pace. However, you would be wise to learn where your company’s loyalty comes from, how it arrives, and how it can thrive. The common thread between your sales team and consumers is not just your company or brand — it’s how your brand makes them feel as people and how it adds value and purpose to their lives. If you can adapt to their demands, you will find success in no time.