SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 9, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LiveHive, Inc., the industry's most comprehensive sales acceleration platform, today released research that shows the overwhelming majority of executives are more likely to respond to vendors with personalized sales outreach. However, more than a third (35%) of the executives say that they never, or not that often, receive any personalized sales outreach from vendors – revealing a gap between the level of personalization delivered, and buyers' desired level of personalization. Harris Poll conducted this online survey on their behalf in the summer of 2015 among more than 300 corporate executives at companies with revenues of $1 billion or more.
The research highlights the growing need to personalize today's sales conversations and the critical need for increased buyer-side insights. With more understanding about customers, sales teams can respond faster with personalized selling that addresses a customer's particular interests and pain points.
"These findings confirm that personalization has become a 'must-do' not a 'nice-to-have' for sales organizations," said Suresh Balasubramanian, CEO of LiveHive, Inc. "Best-in-class companies are already leveraging technology to gain buyer insights and speed the sales process. With Gartner research showing that 89% of companies plan to compete primarily on the basis of customer experience by 2016, increased buyer understanding has become essential for 21st century sales teams."
Results Are Loud and Clear on What Buyers Want
The research found vendor outreach personalized to their company's industry to be absolutely essential or very important to 88% of executives.(i) In addition, 83% of executives report that sales outreach personalized to their company's specific business problem is absolutely essential or very important.(ii)
A huge 95% of executives indicate that they would be more likely to respond to vendor outreach if it was personalized as relevant to their company's industry.
Executives also shared their likelihood of responding to sales emails based on type of included content. Executives would be more likely to respond positively when vendors initially reach out to them with sales emails that include customer case studies (84%), followed by industry articles (81%), and white papers (78%). The research findings can be seen in this infographic "The Makings of a Sales Rep Superhero."
LiveHive Announces Industry Partnership to Improve Sales Personalization
LiveHive today also announced a new industry partnership with FRONTLINE Selling. The partnership adds to a growing list of vendors who have integrated LiveHive's comprehensive engagement analytics as a way to increase buyer personalization for their customers. FRONTLINE Selling will integrate LiveHive's deep content tracking on its Staccato Mail platform. See press release here.
Visit LiveHive at Dreamforce 2015
See a demonstration of the LiveHive sales acceleration platform at Dreamforce 2015, Booth #N2108, September 15-18 in San Francisco. To download and try a free 14-day trial of LiveHive, visit http://livehive.com/signup/.
Survey Methodology
Harris Poll conducted the survey online on behalf of LiveHive within the United States from July 29 and August 3, 2015, among a total of 319 corporate executives at companies with revenues of $1 billion or more. For a complete survey method statement, including weighting variables, please contact LiveHive.
About LiveHive
Headquartered in San Jose, California, LiveHive, Inc. delivers a complete sales acceleration platform that powers sales organizations to build a repeatable sales process by uncovering ways to trim inefficiency, and improve their sales team's productivity, email effectiveness, and follow-up through automation and deep engagement analytics.
LiveHive provides sales leaders with insight into rep email and calling activity, ramps up new reps to full productivity faster, ensures consistent and relevant messaging across the sales organization, and creates a closer alignment with marketing. With LiveHive SmartPath automated email sequencing and award-winning engagement analytics around email and content tracking, sales reps can focus on core selling activity, and sales leaders can quickly understand the effectiveness of their sales teams' email and call follow-up. For more information, visit www.livehive.com and follow @LiveHive.
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(i)When vendors initially reach out to them or their company.
(ii)When vendors initially reach out to them or their company.