5 Stats to Know About 5 Common Sales Methodologies

Choosing the right sales methodology sets the foundation for how you and your teams approach your sales process.

If you focus on solution selling, your reps may give customized solutions to prospects that display how your product will meet their individual needs, whereas teams that use the outbound methodology may focus on outreach tactics like cold-calling.

As all methods are different, it’s essential to select the one that works best for your business. In this post, we’ll discuss critical stats to know about five sales methodologies you may already be familiar with and their implications for the businesses that choose to use them.

Five Stats To Know About Five Common Sales Methodologies

1. You can make prospecting calls more successful by focusing on the value you can deliver to customers (96%).

Sales reps using the value-based selling approach focus on showing the customer how the product or service they’re selling can bring them value, helping customers decide based on benefits, rather than simply whether a product or service is the best option on the market.

While prospecting calls are a sales process and not a sales methodology, the statistic above shows us that sales reps that focus on the value they can deliver to a customer during calls are 96% more successful, which is exactly what value-based selling is.

2. 78% of social sellers outsell their peers who don’t use social media.

Social selling is the process of using social media platforms to find leads and fill your pipeline. As there are over 3.96 billion global social media users, sales reps should pay attention to the method.

The statistic above shows us that it’s worth it, as 78% of reps using the social selling method outsell their peers who don’t use social media. In addition, 65% of salespeople who use social selling fill their pipeline compared to those who don’t, and reps using social selling are 51% more likely to meet their quotas. 

3. 40% of top sales performers primarily used a challenger selling style.

Reps using the challenger sales method take an active role in teaching their prospects about what they have to offer and encourage leads to see their business in a different light. As the name suggests, they challenge customers to view their business operations and how they would be affected by the product or service that they’re selling.

The methodology works, and a Gartner study found that 40% of star sales performers were challengers.

4. 88% of salespeople with Sandler training said their sales strategy improved.

The Sandler Selling System involves sales reps acting as consultants, as you ask the right questions to accurately qualify your leads to ensure you’re selling to people who will actually benefit from your product. Thus, increasing the likelihood of a sale going through.

Using the Sandler Selling System is worth considering, as 88% of people with Sandler training say their sales strategy has improved.

5. B2B buyers consume an average of 13 content pieces before deciding on a vendor.

Inbound selling, similar to inbound marketing, involves meeting prospects where they already are in their buyer’s journey. This method is becoming more popular, as customers are increasingly taking action on their own, like conducting product research and coming close to a decision before speaking to a salesperson.

The above statistic shows how important it is to understand inbound selling strategies, as buyers are more informed and aware of your business and its offerings than ever before. You’re working with leads that you already know are interested in what you have to offer, and you may be answering more complex questions than a lead that has just discovered your business.

All in all, the statistics mentioned above demonstrate the benefits of five different sales methodologies.