Faster growing companies are those investing in their sales function, looking for more personal customer relations and to find better ways to engage with their customers. Increased resources in terms of headcount, ‘the right tools for the job’ and sales training are all helping to leverage talent and achieve profitable growth.

• Whilst it is true that retaining existing business is a key focus for most businesses, the need to attract new business, of course, never ceases and online activity alone cannot be solely relied upon for this, especially in professional services marketing.

• As a bare minimum, before a ‘cold’ call is made a prospect should have been fully researched and identified as the right decision maker or influencer contacted at the right time, with your business development personnel ready with insights to give the prospect the best possible buying experience.

• Businesses that prioritise nurturing of in-person and one-to-one interactions with customers have seen greater success. However, a genuine and appropriate approach is called for, with restraint and a respect for privacy when seeking to offer/deliver what is now referred to as a ‘hyper personalised’ experience – see below.

• Whilst research has shown that 80% of consumers are more likely to buy from a company that offers a more personalised sales experience, some observers are saying that traditional virtual sales channels such as webchat have seen a decline in popularity and engagement levels, whilst others are extolling the virtues of 24-hour accessibility/support.

• Where technology starts to get even more involved is with the ‘hyper-personalisation’ that AI can offer. Tools here include advanced data analytics, machine learning, natural language processing – all able to analyse, understand and react to customer inputs with a high level of accuracy. This works best where there are a reasonably frequent number of purchases as it relies on a wide variety of customer purchasing patterns, customer journey data, customer service interactions and more.

• Account based marketing (ABM) also makes use of personalised content. Though this has been around for several years, it is now starting to attract the attention of a wider cross-section of b2b marketers. ABM strategies require close collaboration between marketing and sales teams to pinpoint key accounts that represent substantial revenue potential.

• In essence, ABM involves an individualised, bespoke approach. Instead of casting a wide net over a large audience with shared characteristics, ABM focuses on a select list of targets, allowing for a tailored approach that precisely meets their needs and specifications.