On average, between seven and nine people are on a buying committee. That means the sales rep has to make more connections, and more people need to come to an agreement on a purchase.


people are asking, “Why can’t I do this on Zoom?” rather than, “Why can’t I do this in person?” Not only has the


JULIE THOMAS PRESIDENT AND CEO VALUESELLING ASSOCIATES


physical location of the sales presentation changed, so, too, have the expectations of buying behavior. Research from Gartner found that, while buyers


report they prefer a rep- free experience, they also have low confidence in the


complicated world is value-based selling because “it is a common-sense approach. But common sense isn’t always common practice,” Thomas says. And that’s the problem. At a time when there are tremendous demands on


buyers, how you sell is as important as what you sell (or even more important).


TODAY’S CHALLENGES Of course, the pandemic ushered in some physical changes. Two-and-a-half years ago, many salespeople thought they couldn’t sell if they were not in the room face-to-face with their buyers, Thomas remembers. Even as some folks are back in the office, teams are scattered across the country (or globe) in remote workplaces. Now, she says,


digital-only information they find. A whopping 76% of those surveyed said they did nothing different as a result of engaging with a supplier only through their digital assets. Without a high level of confidence, B2B buyers are less likely to make high-quality, low-regret purchases. In addition, research from Forrester found that, in B2B transactions, buyers opt for what they perceive as the lowest-risk option rather than what might truly be the best option. With these sizable challenges to overcome, sales


reps need to position themselves to offer value. Part of that includes explaining why the buyer would benefit from meeting with the seller, rather than making a sales pitch about why the sales rep wants to meet with the buyer. In fact, Thomas isn’t a fan of the word “pitch” at all when it comes to selling because it assumes the buyer is passive – and that’s not the case today (and, let’s face it, it never was,


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