Business Communication Skills Sales and Marketing

Question: Discuss about theBusiness Communication Skillsfor Sales and Marketing. Answer: Cespedes, F. V. Bova, T., 2015. What sales people need to know about the new B2B landscape. Harvard Bussiness review. Cespedes and Bova urge in their articles that organizations need to embrace and adopt new changes which are emerging in the sales and marketing field. Specifically, they are talking about business to business sales (B2B). Firms participating in selling should know that selling process is more centered on the customer than the buyer (Cespedes Bova, 2015). Therefore, it is their role to ensure that all the selling models they design incorporate the modern elements which are cropping up in the market. They outline that the AIDA model which B2B firms employ together with CRM systems to analyze the marketing and selling strategies do not adequately address the dynamism that exists in the market. Their argument is based on Gartner research, which they say indicates a very different modern purchasing reality. According to Cespedes and Bova, the Gartner research shows that buyer no longer move sequentially through a funnel when making a purchase decision, but they work through four parallel streams. The activities involved in this streams are exploring, evaluating, engaging and experiencing. Therefore, it vital for B2B companies to understand where their customers are and how to interact with them appropriately at the different stream levels. They go forth to offer suggestions on how a firm can align their operations with these new changes. Firstly, they suggest that it is vital for a B2B business to recognize that, regardless of the path that the clients take, the sales force is of the uttermost importance. This is because the customers prefer to interact with people who will aid them reach an effective buying decision. However, they warn that despite the advancements in technology and the popularity of social media, the latter have insignificant effects on the buying habits of the clients. Therefore, B2b firms are advised not to prioritize the social media platform in engaging their customers. Cespedes and Bova further point out that, across all the buying streams the buyers emphasized on the relevance of their interactions with sellers in meeting their organization needs. Secondly, they suggest that buying is a continuous and dynamic process. This implies that changes are inevitable in this sphere. For instance, they note that customers no longer rely on references made by the sellers but prefer to obtain such information from their fellow buyers through community websites. Furthermore, they cite the role of merchant websites in influencing purchasing decisions. Hence they call for close coordination between the sales and marketing departments in B2B business. Finally, they suggest that there no given selling methodology that can address all the buyers needs. This is because aligning buying and selling is a process which is impacted upon by variable factors. Recommendations Cespedes and Bova's article challenges those in B2B business to consider integrating changes which are occurring in their environment into their selling strategies. Failure to do so will render their measures ineffective since they will not address the needs of buyers sufficiently. Rather than being carried away with the idea of social media, B2B business should concentrate on strengthening their sales force.