The role of the sales rep is not dead. In fact, nearly 70% of B2B buyers said they still want to interact with a sales representative and 38% believe interacting with a sales rep is more productive than conducting research on their own, according to a new report from Showpad.
The B2B Buyer Experience Report shows that although the buyer journey is becoming longer and more complex, the role of sales representative remains crucial. The report, which surveyed more than 650 B2B buyers, found that 72% rated the timeliness of a vendor’s response to their inquiry as critical when evaluating solutions.
Additional findings include:
- 32% of buyers said they can’t find the information they need when conducting online research;
- 37% said the information they do find online is not applicable to their purchase; and
- The top qualities of a good sales rep are that they are helpful and informative, knowledgeable about the industry and able to prove cost savings.
“Contrary to popular belief, sales representatives are still crucial for B2B buyers,” said Theresa O’Neill, VP of Marketing at Showpad, in a statement to Demand Gen Report. “Our report uncovered that while people still want to research on their own, they actually want to interact with salespeople even more …. Buyers want sales reps to not only provide them with great content, but [also] help them connect the dots to realize the value their product/service can bring. This trend only becomes more prominent as the buyer becomes more senior: key decision makers want to interact with sales reps and C-suite executives would rather call a sales rep than search for answers on their own.”
