We’ve seen a massive rise in brands choosing online digital B2B solutions in the past year, and for very valid reasons. With the world being in lockdown virtually overnight, companies have had to adapt very quickly to be able to survive in such uncertain times. But in finding solutions quickly have brands been missing a trick with their B2B selling apps?
With the focus being solely on online functionality, has offline functionality been overlooked? Our digital cross-platform sales tool aWorkbook, has enabled Sales Teams to work both online and offline for many years, so as experts in the field we would like to share some of the reasons why brands need to consider offline capabilities.
Style over substance?
In the rush to meet the challenges of selling during a pandemic many brands opted to go for a solution that could replace their usual process, albeit virtually. As a result, there has been an increase in the number of browser-based online virtual showrooms that are available. When done well these showroom webpages can look amazing.
However, the end user is only able to view and interact with these showrooms when they are online with a stable internet connection, so by going for this option brands are limiting how their buyers can see and review their product range. Thinking outside the box and choosing a digital sales tool that works offline as well as online gives them the freedom to browse products whenever and wherever they choose.
Smooth and Seamless
Keeping the customer happy should always be at the forefront of any business strategy. Providing a seamless experience with your brand is crucial to maintaining positive relationships with your customers and using an app that is accessible offline will deliver a much smoother experience than an app that isn’t.
It can be embarrassing for all when the realisation dawns on you during a sales meeting that your sales app isn’t connecting to the internet, and you can’t pull together the information you need to showcase your products at their best. Presenting a range to a buyer can be stressful at the best of times, so the additional pressure of locating the right password for the local Wi-Fi (if it’s available) and making it work can leave you feeling flustered. We’ve all been there and it’s painful!
Prepare on the go
Working from home over the last year has meant that meeting prep is easily done ahead of time from the comfort of a home office, kitchen table, sofa or even tucked up in bed! Now that lockdowns are easing, and more face-to-face meetings are taking place, it makes sense to utilise travel time to put the finishing touches to sales presentations. Trains, planes and service stations often offer Wi-Fi these days but it’s not always reliable and is sometimes charged for.
Having a digital sales app which works beautifully offline as well as online means that you can concentrate fully on perfecting your product selection and meeting content, without the worry of losing connectivity when going through a tunnel and without having to pay for the privilege. Travel will soon be a fundamental part of our working lives again, so it makes sense to optimise the time we spend on the road, rails or in the air between meetings.
Present with confidence
As connected as the world is, even the Wi-Fi has its moments. As the world opens up and you are able to visit your customers in person, don’t let the lack of Wi-Fi put you off.
You can’t always control the environment when meeting a customer. If they sell tents and want to meet you at an outdoors event then offline capability gives you consistent access to your digital catalogue, so your marketing assets, images and videos will be ready to present straight away. And having all of this information readily available means that you can concentrate on ‘wow-ing’ them with your flawless pitch. Inevitably this will lead to greater customer confidence, loyalty, and retention.
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We pride ourselves in being experts at what we do. And that’s why we provide companies with the support and software to deliver top quality digital product experiences – wherever they are. That’s why our aWorkbook has fantastic offline capabilities and the Hark team are always on hand to help you to make the most our of our software.