Sales has evolved tremendously in the last few decades. In the past, it was a seller's game! Sales teams had the upper hand, essentially telling B2B clients and consumers what they needed. The sales cycles were straightforward, and it didn't take long to close deals and generate revenue.

Things are much different now. Buyers have the upper hand. Most prospects spend considerable time researching purchases before reaching out to your sales team. Not only that, but they have easy access to several digital channels. The buyer's journey is no longer a line but more of a scattered plot. If you want your salesforce to work more efficiently, create an impactful customer experience, and close more deals, you must meet your buyers in the middle.

That's where a digital sales room (DSR) comes in. What is a digital sales room? Think of it as a virtual space where prospects and sales reps can get together to talk business. Your team can use a DSR to fine-tune sales interactions, deliver relevant information, and support every client that moves through the sales funnel.

AKA: Virtual Deal Rooms and Sales Microsites

These digital rooms go by many names, but the concept and definitions are all the same. A DSR is a virtual space ripe for deal-making. It's a central hub where your clients can learn more about your products and services, interact with reps, and continue sales conversations.

Make no mistake: This isn't the same as an e-commerce platform. While self-service features are standard in digital sales rooms, there's still a sense of interactivity and customization. No matter what you hear, e-commerce won't replace salespeople. But you can view a DSR as a happy middle-ground. It's a virtual meeting room devoted entirely to making sales.

Clients will use your DSR frequently, returning to it at several points in the sales cycle. Your team can use that fact to employ custom sales strategies, deliver fine-tuned content, and create pitches. In our increasingly digital world, a virtual deal room could be the thing your business needs to appeal to modern buyers and future-proof your sales techniques.

Why Online Spaces Are the Future of B2B Sales

Experts predict that more than a quarter of all sales will occur in digital sales rooms in the coming years. But what about this concept makes it such a big part of the future of B2B sales?

Ultimately, it comes down to efficiency. B2B clients are busier than ever. They often go through several sales channels before deciding what product or service to buy. Even then, information must go through multiple stakeholders before that ink-to-paper closer. There are numerous friction points that slow things down. If you're not delivering on the customer experience, prospects will go elsewhere.

Virtual deal rooms let you make the most out of every interaction with a potential client. The digital space is perfect for personalized and differentiated sales experiences. You're not delivering a static pitch. Every touchpoint in the DSR is unique and powerful enough to push prospects closer to closing a deal.

This concept just works! It replaces several touchpoints, provides buyers with all the content and information they need to make a decision, and helps your business stay organized while tracking sales opportunities. It even helps build long-term professional relationships, turning one-off deals into repeat purchases.

Guidelines for an Effective Digital Sales Room

So what makes a good digital sales room? This concept is not the same as a simple blog or marketplace website. It's a highly focused microsite that should serve a specific purpose: To generate sales! Here's a quick breakdown and guideline of some of the core features your DSR needs.

1. Allow Buyers to Self-Serve Product Information

Remember: The days of holding your prospects' hands and pitching basic product information are long gone.

A good microsite will let buyers source the information they need. Most will already learn about your products, services, and competitors online. A well-designed DSR makes finding relevant information a cinch. In doing so, you can control what content gets in front of buyers. That paves the way for employing content marketing strategies and leaving a positive influence that sticks.

2. Provide Robust, Engaging Sales Collateral 

Don't leave your sales pitch to generic marketing content. The virtual deal room is your opportunity to create a real connection with prospects. A sales microsite is the perfect place to embed sales collateral. Tell would-be customers exactly why your offering is the best!

There's no better place to make collateral available, whether it's case studies and customer testimonials or personalized sales pitch videos and demo decks.

3. Sales Reps Should Always Be Available to Talk in Real-Time

Want to keep the conversation going? Stay out of email inboxes and facilitate real-time communication. One of the best features you can integrate into your digital sales room is a direct messaging line between visitors and your reps. Something as simple as a constantly monitored chat platform will do the trick. Through that chat, buyers can ask questions as your team keeps deals on track.

4. Prospect Personalization Is Key

Personalization makes all the difference in B2B sales. These clients want as many unique touchpoints as possible. They don't wish to see generic content that caters to the masses. It's about showing that you empathize and care about their distinct needs.

Through your DSR, you can develop a branded experience that's unique to every prospect. Adjust as prospects learn more about your products and head deeper into the buyer's journey. Focus resources on creating an impressive customer experience and accelerating every deal cycle is a cinch.

5. Ensure Streamlined, Immediate Deal Approval 

B2B clients still need help from sales teams, but they should also be able to approve deals on the spot. To make that happen, provide up-to-date information about pricing and product information. Then, employ a system for quick and easy deal approval. Allow your new clients to sign contracts and order goods on the spot; your DSR will have served its purposes to a tee!

Prepare Your Team for the Future of B2B Sales

There's so much worry about e-commerce platforms replacing the need for salespeople. But as a leader, you know that B2B clients will always need knowledgeable sales professionals at some point. By definition, a digital sales room is a healthy compromise between face-to-face interaction and digital convenience.

A DSR connects clients and representatives, provides relevant sales content, delivers crucial product information, and facilitates deals. It's a true game-changer that can take your sales processes to a new level of efficiency!

Ready to check it out yourself? Flockjay is an innovative sales enablement platform that can help you build winning sales teams. Use Flockjay to establish your DSR and see firsthand how this concept will push sales into the stratosphere!

‍