What is Hybrid Selling?
Operating your business online, offline and in-between.
People interact with companies in different ways. They’re buying online, they’re going into stores, they’re purchasing online and picking up curbside, and they’re using social media to connect with brands. They want the best of both worlds: the convenience of an online transaction, with the personalized experience you can only get in-person at a retail location.
What do small businesses need to start thinking about in order to succeed in today’s marketplace while maintaining your incredible customer service?
Improve Your Digital Presence
Up your digital presence on platforms that make sense. For instance; your website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google business profile, YouTube, etc. You need to be where your customers are and conversely you shouldn’t be where they aren’t looking for you. And of course, your digital presence should feel exactly like your in-store experience.
Become A Content Creator
This may sound daunting but it doesn’t have to be – as long as you have a decent smartphone, positive attitude and sales mentality. We know the benefits of good content, like good copywriting, great imagery, and especially video. The next step in this evolution is going ‘Live’. Live video is the hottest trend for small businesses right now . People want to make that human connection with the person they’re buying from and they want to feel good while doing it. You’ll need a couple people to make this happen – one to be in front of the camera, one to press start and one to field and read questions aloud. The beauty of live video is being able to interact with your customer directly so you can answer their specific questions about products their interested in and a lot of platforms, like Facebook and Instagram make it super easy to do.
Get Staff Buy-In
Finally, we understand the challenge for small businesses of getting employees on board with this new way of doing things, especially if they’re used to doing things one way or another. Getting employee buy-in is the first step to hybrid selling success. Have a chat about the direction you’re thinking and ask for additional ideas to keep them included. And lastly, have a ramp up period to help get everyone used to new and different platforms so they feel comfortable and equipped to handle the new processes.