Key Trends for Lead Generation and Sales for 2022

The Covid-19 pandemic has had significant effects on all the traditional activities that were essential to lead generation and sales activities, such as conferences, lunch meetings, and other offline marketing and sales events. Many sales and marketing teams were driven to turn to automation and using robust sales and lead management software to stay on top of their sales strategies while still providing the best customer experience. Inbound and outbound lead generation saw the continued use of artificial intelligence in sales operations and is predicted to continue being one of the main lead generation marketing trends to watch out for in the future.

This article presents the key lead generation & sales trends for 2022 and includes some tips on how to capitalize on these trends to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. The pandemic placed an additional burden on technological infrastructure, with many having to resort to increasingly more use of digital and online channels to achieve their lead and sales performance targets. Given that the traditional ways of working have been changed irreversibly, agents can no longer hope to go back to the traditional ways of working. B2B lead generation and B2C lead generation activities will still be performed through offline channels, but there will be an increased emphasis on digital channels. Read this article to learn more about the lead generation & sales trends predicted for 2022.

1. Digital Lead Generation

   

   With remote working becoming the norm due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be an increasing shift of networking and selling activities to the digital arena. Sellers and buyers are increasingly working with digital channels and lead resources like social media, websites, email marketing, content marketing, and more. Increasingly more people are choosing digital communications to personal interactions for safety reasons as well as reduced travel costs and other reasons.

2. Value-based Selling

   

   There will be a more concerted effort towards value-based selling in 2022. Companies are realizing that outrightly shoving deals in front of their customers doesn't work, and also it backfires often. As part of their lead generation strategies, companies are, and will, make use of trends in data in real-time to show their customers the value of their products and services rather than outrightly pitching for them to purchase their offerings. Outbound call centers will increasingly move toward more value-based selling to ensure that they don't lose potential customers to frustrating experiences.

3. Increasing Rise of Chatbots

   

   AI is finding use in many industries and scenarios and has the potential to significantly add value to a host of areas and issues. Companies are also looking to AI to improve lead generation and sales. One way this is being done is by deploying ever increasingly sophisticated chatbots to drive enhanced business communications and provide better customer support services. The main advantage of chatbots is the quick responses to common questions and issues and many respondents in multiple surveys say they appreciate the ability of chatbots to provide near-instant responses.

4. Live Chat and Video Conferencing

   

   With the COVID-19 pandemic making in-person networking and meetings unsafe, communication channels have switched to digital platforms. The rise of video conferencing and live chat offerings are part of some key sales trends to watch in 2022. Many surveys have shown that decision-makers prefer video interactions to communicating over the phone. Sales and marketing teams will increasingly adopt online lead generation, such as live chat and video conferencing options, to drive lead generation activities while they provide a better overall experience to their customers.

5. AI Will Boost Sales Efforts

   

   Surveys have shown that, in general, only about 50% of sales reps meet their quotas. Artificial Intelligence and call center analytics are now being considered seriously as an effective means to improve these numbers. AI can help teams to gather valuable data on existing and potential customers to help them develop better marketing strategies to boost sales. AI can also provide suggestions to customers based on previous transactions and can help sales and marketing teams to plan ahead. AI can help teams identify leads that have a better chance of conversion and can help teams to provide a better customer experience.

6. Influencer Marketing to Gain Traction

   

   That brands are turning to influencers to help generate leads is not new. However, this shift towards influencer marketing has been reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Influencers, defined as persons, digital entities, or brands have developed authority in specific social media niches. Companies that provide services or products in areas where influencers have authority will increasingly make use of these influencers to gain more leads for their business. Influencers also have an in-depth understanding of their audience and can provide companies with a better understanding of their key demographic.

7. Increasing Focus on Customer Experience

   

   Brands are increasingly looking for further ways to enhance and personalize the customer experience that they provide. The key factors affecting customer experience are speed, knowledgeable assistance, convenience, and polite service, and companies are looking at various options to ensure that they provide the best customer experience. A better customer experience has been shown to increase customer loyalty. Furthermore, making efforts to understand buyer behavior, such as providing suggestions based on the purchase history, make buyers stay on your site longer and potentially buy more products or services.

8. Social Media Lead Generation Activity Continues

   

   Brands have used social media platforms to generate warm leads for many years now. However, with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, brands have tried to find better ways to enhance their lead generation from social media platforms. One way that brands will achieve this in 2022 is by making their content more personalized and based on the leads that they aim to get. This will call for getting to know the ideal leads on a more personal level and their areas of interest. Brands will also leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning for sales enablement to "listen" to their users on social media to understand them better so that they can provide more personalized content that brings them leads.

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Flatworld Solutions is a leading provider of lead generation services, as well as a comprehensive range of other call center services, to clients from across industries and geographies. We offer highly cost-effective, secure, competent, and professional services that will help you generate leads using the most sophisticated workflows, tools, technologies, and best practices. Our lead generation and sales experts are highly proficient in engaging with customers professionally and courteously and will always keep the needs of your customers at the forefront of their efforts.

If you are looking for highly reliable, professional, and cutting-edge lead generation services, contact us now to take a productive route to success.