Mobile devices are impacting not only online buying behavior, but in-store purchases as well. Analysts predict that by 2016, mobile input will influence $689 billion of consumer shopping decisions in places of business, notes LivePerson. To compete in this environment, today’s retailer needs a mobile sales strategy. This requires a new way of thinking to include smartphones and tablets into the selling process.
Think Like a Mobile User
How Do Users Really Hold Mobile Devices?
At one time, in-store sales representatives had exclusive access to shoppers. Today, a buyer might be walking down the aisle using their smartphone to compare prices with the store down the street, or ask their best friend what they think of a product. A successful mobile selling strategy requires thinking from the viewpoint of consumers who are shopping with wireless devices in hand.
This includes engaging the psychological focus of mobile users. Someone using a smartphone or tablet is simultaneously processing several sensory experiences: sight, sound, touch, all while walking.
Engage the Eyes and Fingers with Images and Video
China at your Fingertips 2.0 from SeenVision on Vimeo.
China at your Fingertips 2.0 – Engaging video on mobile in China
More than 90 percent of the most interactive posts on Facebook include photos. Meanwhile, 20 percent of mobile phone users watch videos. These statistics demonstrate why engaging the sense of sight is a smart mobile marketing strategy. Design the look of your virtual sales floor to appeal to someone looking at a screen the size of a smartphone or tablet. To reach the widest audience, aim for the smallest-sized screen, meaning that mobile phone users should be able to see what you have to show them.
Visuals are only part of the story. The sense of touch is another essential element. Mobile consumers use their fingers to navigate and select items. Design your interface to interact with finger scrolling and button pushing. Make sure to integrate touch and sight by making clickable items easy to spot.
Substitute Audio for Text
5 Tips for Creating Professional-Quality Audio Content
In website-oriented online marketing, long sales pages with lengthy text can convert well. On a small mobile screen, this will only serve to annoy impatient buyers who don’t care to squint at small font. However, words are an important part of the selling process, and images alone can rarely carry the full weight of a sales presentation. A happy medium suited to mobile devices is using audio to deliver your sales message.
When selling with audio, it’s vital to deliver a well-crafted presentation. Even if your audience might want to read text on a screen, your sales representative should still work from a structured script that covers all the essential steps in the buying process. These include building rapport, asking qualifying questions, conveying benefits, delivering your close, and handling objections.
A sales representative can record an audio presentation, or deliver it live via mobile communication. One advantage of mobile selling is you can deploy virtual sales representatives to any location using live chat or a similar tool.
Extend Customized Offers
Making Websites Location Aware With HTML5 Geolocation
Powerful analytics tools now enable mobile platforms to provide personalized sales experiences based on demographic factors, such as their geolocation, browsing history and buying patterns. This enables retailers to extend offers and discounts designed to appeal to the individual buyer, delivering a more effective pitch than a traditional impersonal approach.
Enable On-the-Go Ordering
Designing A Better Mobile Checkout Process
The mobile buyer is on the go, traveling through the store as they rush from one place to another. Sales representatives who want to keep up with them need to make it easy to order while on the move. One-click ordering options and mobile payment systems will increase your sales in today’s ever-moving environment.
