Have we lost sight of the value âhuman interactionâ can bring to sales?

Recent research indicated that over 68% of buyers had some form of human interaction with a sales person prior to making their last three purchasing decisions; either a telephone conversation or a face to face meeting. These figures become more revealing when we examine the size of order. The average order value with human interaction is £68,032, but only £1,018 without.

With the current buzz around digital channels and automation, it’s easy to forget that our single strongest sales tool will always be a highly motivated and skilled sales employee. They are able to build rapport and engage with prospects in a knowledgeable, nuanced and interactive manner.

In doing so, they add real value to the sales process and ultimately influence the customer’s purchasing decision.
On a basic level, it’s about interacting with customers as people and always remembering that human interaction makes customers feel valued.

Consider the following example:

It’s your birthday. Friends congratulate you in different ways. Which friend makes you feel more valued?
a) Sally sends you a text message (mobile marketing)
b) Raj sends you an email (email marketing)
c) Peter sends you a birthday card (direct mail)
d) Heather gives you a telephone call (telemarketing)
e) Simon visits you at home (field sales).

I asked senior managers on LinkedIn the same question; and no surprises that the top two channels were those featuring human interaction – field sales and telemarketing.

The whirlwind advance of digital marketing has resulted in a stampede as marketing managers race to ‘land grab’ their part of the digital space.

In the frenzy we may have lost sight of one enduring fact… buyers are people; always have been, always will be. Can our marketing truly connect with buyers if we treat them as just ‘data’ and a ‘digital footprint’?