Sales trends in 2019 saw the continued rise of some ongoing favorites, as well as some surprising newcomers. Here are the standouts implemented over the last year and the reasons you should implement them in 2020.

Social Selling
Some of the best sales reps in 2019 understood the need to simply be where the buyer is. Also known as omnichannel sales, branching out from only selling through email and direct mail to also using a variety of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn has become key to sales growth. This trend continues to rise due to new technology that makes it easier than ever to reach an array of buyers in a variety of places.

B2B or B2C?
A fascinating change in B2B selling in 2019 was how it started to mirror B2C selling by giving the buyer more power. The buyer now comes into the relationship not only knowing as much about your product as you do but also knowing the most effective ways consumers are using it. This is thanks in part to the rise of business review culture, which means that in the future, it will be just as important to know what your competitors are saying about you as it will be to know about your product.

Artificial Intelligence
For years, there was widespread fear that the rise of artificial intelligence services would cause a drop in sales jobs. But as we head into 2020, industry predictions now show that AI will increase sales headcount. That’s because the type of AI advancements made over the last few years were not intended to replace positions but rather to enhance the effectiveness of those positions. AI cuts down on tedious tasks, helps sellers better understand customer needs, and delivers data much more quickly.

The overall takeaway from 2019’s trends is that there seem to be more and more avenues to both make sales and gather information on sales. Staying up to date with technology and in the know about your buyers are the most effective tactics you can maintain as your business heads into the new year.