LinkedIn, the world’s largest online professional network, has released a new report, Deep Sales: The B2B Sales Playbook to Boost Revenue in 2024 that shares practical tips on how sellers can maximise sales opportunities this year to boost revenue.
It also reveals how sellers are embracing the use of AI to bolster efforts, with 87% of sellers in Singapore saying that they want training on how to best use AI technology.
The report shows that the three habits of top performers in sales organisations include ‘prioritising high- potential accounts’, ‘investing in building key relationships’, and ‘finding hidden allies and intel for relevant outreach’.
Sellers who exhibit these behaviours are known as ‘deep sellers’ by LinkedIn. Findings show that 14% of B2B sellers in Singapore are deep sellers, and sales professionals are 27X more likely to exceed quota if they prioritise industry research, which is currently practised by 67% of deep sellers.
Additionally, almost one in two deep sellers in Singapore (48%) seek buyer feedback following an interaction.
Over eight in ten B2B sellers swear by using AI to research prospects
As per the report, B2B sellers in Singapore are increasingly relying on AI in their selling journeys – to research prospects, identify targets, and find warm leads with buyers. 84% of B2B sellers in Singapore agree that using AI to research prospects or customers will be important for future success.
Notably, deep sellers in Singapore are 1.7X more likely than shallow sellers to use AI to identify opportunities that are at risk. Additionally, 71% of deep sellers are already utilising sales intelligence tools to identify high- potential accounts, which is significantly higher than shallow sellers (14%).
Grace Kerrison, head of sales solutions, LinkedIn APAC says, “The best sales professionals do things differently. They practise the deep sales approach, assisted by AI, to get conversations with people that matter.
That’s why companies are on the hunt for deep sellers who know how to use AI and sales intelligence tools. B2B sellers who use LinkedIn Sales Navigator connect 4.3 times more with top leaders compared to others.
This drives our commitment to improving our AI tools, so sellers on our platform can grow their businesses smoothly.”
The human touch in buyer-seller relationships is indispensable even in the age of AI
As technology evolves, there’s a clear focus on how B2B sellers connect with buyers and maintain long- term relationships.
Findings show that 88% of B2B sellers and 72% of buyers in Singapore agree that meeting in-person before closing a deal is important. At the same time, almost 1 in 2 buyers (46%) in Singapore say they still buy from the same sales professional even after changing companies. This shows how important relationships are for sales success and lasting value.
