Table of contents
1. Selling a good experience
2. What sales and UX have in common (and where they differ)
3. Why do sales reps need good UX
4. How to implement UX strategies to improve the customer journey
5. Conclusion
1. Selling a good experience
It’s impossible to communicate your product’s value until you know what it is. Products don’t exist in a vacuum. They don’t exist unless people buy them, and people buy them because some value proposition is presented to them. That value proposition is communicated through a product’s experience. It’s not about selling products — it’s about selling experiences. So, if you want to boost sales, better make sure it’s a good experience.
2. What sales and UX have in common (and where they differ)
The common denominator in UX and sales processes is the customer. They both focus on two things. First, having an open conversation with users, and second, using this dialogue to help them use or buy their product. Both are driven by customer-focused research and design.
Although they often share the same goals, UX and sales processes are entirely different. The UX team focuses on helping users complete their goals. The sales team focuses on inspiring users to meet their goals using a specific product.
But, just because these are two different processes, it doesn’t mean they should also be completely separated. Sales teams need UX in order to have an excellent product to sell. If a product is poorly designed, no amount of sweet-talking and convincing will help close the deal.
On the other hand, no matter how well a product is designed, it’s rarely without competition. That’s where sales come to play — to convince customers that their specific product is the one to solve their problems. Sales and UX should work in synergy in order to provide the best customer experience, and ultimately, increase sales.
3. Why do sales reps need good UX
It’s pretty clear that you need good UX in order to attract customers. However, your sales team also needs good UX in order to be productive.
It’s a frequent issue: you invest money and time into integrating a B2B sales tool, but it ends up being counterintuitive and difficult to use. It looked good on paper, but the software simply isn’t resonating with your sales team and doesn’t match their process.
In order to excel at selling, your sales reps need well-designed sales tools. The sales software you choose should feel second nature to field users and be consistent with their sales approach. If the user experience isn’t developed with your sales team’s sales process in mind, no matter how many bells and whistles it has, the software will be useless for your team.
Repeatedly losing prospects due to technical issues may have a negative impact on team morale, and refusing to invest in more effective B2B sales solutions may signal that the team’s requirements are simply not a priority.
Here are some of the things to look for in sales software to provide sales reps with the best possible experience:
3.1 Automation
Look for an inside sales software that naturally follows the sales process and allows sales reps to automate tedious tasks and focus on what really matters — selling value to the customer.
For example, with queue-based lead routing and dynamic prioritisation, your sales reps can always have the next best lead right at their fingertips.
Furthermore, automatic, progressive dialing, as well as email and SMS automation, can significantly cut the time needed to reach out to customers and minimise the risk of forgetting to follow up or say thank you.
3.2 Functionality
It’s not enough for your B2B sales tools to simply look good — they must perform well in real-life sales situations. Functionality is equally, if not more important than form.
If you opt for a sales tool just for looks without considering the features it has to offer, you’ll end up with frustrated and unproductive sales reps. This will, in turn, impact your revenue and undermine your customer retention efforts.
However, opting for a simple design that has been carefully tuned to match the specific needs of your sales reps and clients will allow you to achieve the ideal balance of UX form and function.
Every minute your sales reps spends struggling to find the right button is a minute that could be spent on another — far more productive — duty.
3.3 Integrations
Software integrations are an essential part of UX design. They allow a product to be built in a single integrated platform rather than multiple disparate systems. This reduces development time and makes it easier to build new features.
A sales tool that integrates seamlessly with your CRM and other business tools not only makes your sales reps’ lives easier but also reduces errors, increases productivity, and improves the overall effectiveness of your sales process.
Moreover, sales tools that integrate with other business tools provide your business with a unified view of your customer interactions.
When your business has all the necessary tools at hand, you can gain invaluable insight into your sales funnel. This information can be used to set more accurate goals and priorities and work towards increasing your overall ROI.
4. How to implement UX strategies to improve the customer journey
Closing deals doesn’t only fall on the shoulders of your sales reps. Therefore, making sure that you choose the right sales software isn’t enough.
You need to make sure to implement the best UX practices at every step of the way — from the experience of visiting your website for the first time to appointment setting experience once you’re ready to close the deal.
Here are some of the best UX practices you should implement in order to improve customer experience and boost sales.
4.1 Create a user personas
In sales and marketing, creating an ideal customer profile is an essential part of the process. It’s necessary to understand your customers’ preferences and needs in order to target them effectively. Defining your ideal customer is the first step in creating a UX strategy.
Every user persona profile should contain the following:
- Demographic details — these details include age, gender, region, income, marital status, etc.
- Psychographic details — lifestyle, interests, and hobbies can also be helpful information when defining the ideal customer profile.
- Behavioural details — including which channel they use to interact with you, how they use your product, and what motivates them to buy.
- Pain points and problems — these may include frustrations, challenges, and pain points that your ideal customer is facing.
- Needs and goals — these may include what your customers seek to achieve by using your product.
4.2 Create a clear call to action
A strong primary call to action is a great way to increase a website’s UX. It may significantly boost conversions and click-through rates. However, you must ensure that the color of your primary action is at the top of your visual hierarchy (different from the rest of the buttons across your website).
Many websites use the same hue for their calls to action. If you want your user to inquire or add to the cart, make this button a distinct color from the rest of your buttons. If you must use the same hue, make it stand out in another manner.
4.3 Make phone number & live chat easily accessible
Displaying your company’s phone number is a simple UX modification that might have comparable effects on your website.
If you do not have a corporate phone number, live chat may be an option. However, it is preferable to have both alternatives accessible in order to boost user confidence and trust in the firm.
4.4 Mobile-first isn’t everything
Many businesses adopted the mobile-first approach — and they are right to do so because the majority of online traffic for eCommerce and SaaS is now mobile.
However, many of these businesses are overlooking the fact that the majority of their conversions will still take place on desktop and tablet devices. This is partly due to individuals locating what they’re searching for on mobile then completing the purchase on their desktop PC, where the information is simpler to digest and “feels” safer.
To summarise, build for mobile-first, but don’t forget about your desktop conversion figures.
4.5 Keep different browsers in mind
Google Chrome is not used by every user. Although some consider it a default browser, the average public utilises the browser that came with their mobile or desktop device, such as Safari, Firefox, or Opera. Many websites do not include cross-browser testing in their user experience testing suite. Conducting this simple test may make or break a deal.
Many SaaS firms are unaware that some markets are accessing their websites using out-of-date software and that their beautiful SaaS websites do not even load properly on these browsers.
4.6 Create skimmable content
When we write content for our pages, we prefer to write in paragraphs, expecting the user to read them all the way through — but this isn’t the case. Create material that can be simply scanned on the screen when writing.
This is known as the “Five-second test” in the design field; at this time, a user should have a good idea of what the page is about or what the product is.
It’s always a good idea to make bullet point lists of the most significant pieces of information to improve the scannability of your material.
4.7 Reach out to your customers
This strategy is simple, yet it is frequently missed by many businesses. You may contact your consumers before or after they make a purchase by interviewing them and learning about their experience or by developing a simple survey that the user can complete.
You would be surprised at how much customers will tell you about their experience, and you can typically catch concerns before they hit review websites. Simply ensure that the survey is valuable to the consumer — this might be as easy as including a coupon code on their next purchase or a modest Amazon voucher.
4.8 Always interpret user feedback
Good UX is crucial for building strong relationships with your customers. Sometimes it is tempting to simply base your UX strategies on positive data, but keep in mind that users are going to tell their negative feedback more loudly.
Take this feedback on board, even if it is negative, and use it to improve your future strategies. Feedback is essential for improving the sales process. It can help you know which part of your sales process is persuading your customers and where you could improve.
4.9 Keep your users informed about the progress of their order
Customers want to have as much information as possible about the status of their order, especially if it’s a large purchase. Therefore, you must inform them every step of the way about the processes involved in their order.
Of course, being able to offer this transparency isn’t possible in every situation. For example, if a customer places a large order, they may be asked to provide some additional verification information. However, for smaller orders, a simple e-mail update regarding the order status will be sufficient.
5. Conclusion
UX and sales have many similarities, but there are also many significant differences between the two. In fact, UX and sales strategies should be considered as two separate yet related disciplines.
Yet, sales and UX alignment is necessary because it is through UX that your customers will be able to understand the value of your product. Without a solid UX strategy, you will struggle to sell people on your value, and your product will find itself competing for space in a crowded marketplace.
Good UX is crucial for your sales team. When sales pros have the tools they need to close the deal, they can focus on selling value to customers. It is also crucial for your customers. When customers feel valued, they’re more willing to make a purchase.
A good UX strategy will boost sales and boost retention because it will ensure that users become raving fans and are willing to recommend your service to their friends.