Did you know that NASA has plans to build houses on the moon by 2040? While this may not directly impact your sales strategy, it underscores the point that the future is full of possibilities, and the same applies to the world of sales. In the next 17 years, you might find yourself selling space voyages. Jokes aside, when discussing the future of sales, it's less about the products we might sell (flying cars, anyone?) and more about how we'll sell them. This is largely influenced by the changing expectations of buyers, which have seen considerable shifts in the past few years.

Here, we delve into the top predictions for the future of sales, as suggested by experts in the field.

1. AI's Equalizing Impact

As we move forward, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is expected to play a crucial role in leveling the playing field in sales. A survey reveals that 53% of sales reps believe AI has made it easier to compete with other businesses in their industry. How is AI transforming the sales landscape? According to Pascal Weinberger, CEO of Bardeen.ai, "With AI for the sales process, our team is no longer burdened with the tedious process of manually searching for leads on various websites and manually transferring them into our CRM."

AI not only saves time but also empowers sales professionals to be sharper and more effective. James Mensforth, Sales Director UKI at Aircall, notes, "As a sales leader, I use AI to get a better sense of how my team is performing, how we can improve our metrics, and even how to freshen up our sales scripts and prospect communications."

2. Social Media Influence

In the future of sales, having a presence on social media is anticipated to be crucial. Traditionally, building trust with prospects involved having a nice-looking website, professional branding, and publishing case studies. However, social media has become an essential channel for lead generation. According to Dan Tyre, Sales Director at HubSpot, "Salespeople have the opportunity and the responsibility to amplify good information to help prospects gain a better understanding of solutions."

Frequent posting on social media platforms can help educate the audience and differentiate sales professionals. Tyre emphasizes, "Frequent posting can help educate the audience and be invaluable in moving a prospect from education to consideration while building trust and credibility in your knowledge of the subject matter."

3. The Era of Personalization

Personalization is set to become the norm in sales conversations. Sean Hayes, Senior Director of Global Business Development at Aircall, emphasizes that "Personalization transforms a good sales conversation into a great one." A majority of sales professionals (53%) believe that personalizing the buying process for each prospect will become more important in the future.

Beyond benefiting the prospect, personalization enables sales reps to have a deeper understanding of their prospects. Hayes points out, "Taking the time to personalize outreach emails and sales scripts increases your knowledge of the prospect, making you more prepared and giving you more context during the conversation."

4. Transition to Consultative Roles

The future of sales is expected to be self-service, requiring salespeople to adapt to more consultative roles. According to Dan Tyre, "Salespeople need to truly understand the problem their prospects want to solve and provide insight and experience from similar companies and industries that have solved similar problems."

Moving into a more consultative role allows sales professionals to provide additional value beyond what a prospect can find on their own. Tyre suggests, "You can also introduce additional add-on products or integrations that can help accomplish their goals more quickly, as well as introducing potential partners that have a specific area of expertise."

5. Rise of 'Try Before You Buy'

More buyers will seek the 'try before you buy' approach, similar to testing a product or service before making an investment. Dan Tyre highlights, "Offering a free tool or widget, product trial, consultation, or services checklist can increase your visibility, awareness, and opportunities for people who are early in the sales process."

Among sales reps who offer freemium options, a staggering 90% say it's "very effective" at turning prospects into paying customers. Free trials (50%) are deemed the most effective freemium option, followed by free consultations (46%), free tools (39%), and free templates (33%).

In conclusion, whatever the future of sales might hold, one certainty is clear: adaptability will be key for salespeople navigating these shifts. While these shifts may appear daunting to some, they present an exciting opportunity to innovate, embrace new challenges, and redefine the entire art of selling. As we anticipate the future, the sales landscape is primed for evolution, and those who embrace these changes will likely find themselves at the forefront of success.