#002 – Why Software Sales Should Remain Human
If you’re in software sales, it can be easy to fall into the trap of relying too much on automation and AI, losing the personal touch that can make all the difference in closing deals.
In the competitive world of SaaS sales, a personal connection with customers is crucial for closing deals and building lasting relationships.
Relying too much on automation can lead to a loss of personalisation and failure to connect with customers on a deeper level.
In today’s age of increasing automation and AI, remaining human and building personal connections are more important than ever in software sales.
We’ll explore why it’s important to remain human, especially at key customer journey points.
Step 1: Recognise the importance of the personal touch
Acknowledging that the personal touch is vital for building relationships and creating a positive customer experience is essential. Automated outreach and follow-up processes can be helpful, but they should only replace human interaction partially.
Step 2: Evaluate your current sales process
Look at your current sales process and identify areas where you might be relying too heavily on automation or missing opportunities for personal interaction. This could include using generic messaging or not following up promptly or personally.
Step 3: Identify key touchpoints for personal interaction
Determine which points in the customer journey are most critical for building relationships and providing a personalised experience. These include initial outreach, follow-up, and ongoing communication throughout the sales process.
Step 4: Implement personalised outreach and follow-up
Use the insights from Step 3 to create a plan for personalised outreach and follow-up. This might involve tailoring your messaging to each prospect or customer or setting reminders to follow up with them at specific intervals.
Step 5: Use automation as an aid, not a replacement
While automation can help streamline your sales process, it’s important to remember that it should be used as an aid, not a replacement, for human interaction. Use automation to free up time for more personalised interactions, not to replace them entirely.
Step 6: Continuously evaluate and improve
Regularly evaluate your sales process to identify areas for improvement and find ways to further personalise the experience for your customers. This might involve gathering customer feedback or experimenting with different outreach and follow-up strategies to see what works best.
TL;DR
1. Personalisation is key to success in software sales, especially in a competitive marketplace.
2. Automation can be helpful, but it’s important to use it strategically and not rely on it too heavily.
3. There are key points in the customer journey where personalisation is most effective, such as during the initial outreach and follow-up stages.
4. Strategies for incorporating automation without sacrificing the human touch include using personalised templates and incorporating personalised follow-up messages.
5. By remaining human and building personal connections with customers, software salespeople can improve their results and build a loyal customer base to help them succeed over the long term.