6 Essential Resources for the Savvy Sales Rep

According to ThinkLab research, the average sales rep used to spend 80 percent of their time face-to-face with clients, but now it’s down to around 40 percent of their time. If you decided to become a sales rep in the interior design industry, we bet you didn’t dream of sitting behind your computer answering emails all day. If the winds of change have you wondering if there’s a better way to connect with your clients, read ahead.

Resources to help designers respond to industry changes and stay ahead:

1. Craft your A&D strategy with this research report.

First things first: Whether you’ve been calling on A&D for 2 months or 20 years, taking a critical look at your strategy can transform how you spend your precious time, empowering you to translate busyness into business.

Discover what we learned from surveying more than 1,000 interior designers about how they work, their challenges, and more from our latest U.S. Design Benchmark Report. We consider these industry insights an essential foundation for anyone involved in the A&D sale or considering calling on this audience.

2. Find new ways to generate more leads and network in this playbook.

Fifty-eight percent of U.S. workers report being on the remote-work spectrum. And according to ThinkLab research, designers are even more likely to work remotely: 75 percent say that they will be working somewhere on the remote spectrum moving forward. In other words, hybrid is here to stay, and it has dramatically changed how we connect with the A&D audience.

ThinkLab created a playbook of 100 practical ideas to revolutionize your B2B sale. These ideas were drawn from a cross-functional collaboration of designers, commercial real estate, and brands who all came together to solve a shared challenge: how to reach customers in a hybrid era. Tackle one idea per week, or flip through them all whenever you’re stuck in a rut. And while the playbook is a clear road map on its own, we’ve also created an e-learning course for those who prefer an instructor-led experience.

3. Learn to leverage thought leadership with customers in this article.

A recent ThinkLab survey revealed that 71 percent of designers rate thought leadership as “important” or “very important” when considering a contract furniture brand. And when it comes to the broader B2B audience, 88 percent of decision-makers say that thought leadership impacts their perception of a brand.

One of the mainstays in our industry for sharing thought leadership has been the CEU. And while the days of getting a one-hour lunch appointment to share a CEU presentation may become few and far between, we believe the CEU in its newly evolved form is as powerful as ever. If you prefer the Cliff’s Notes version, check out this article on how CEUs are evolving. If you’re hungry for even more on this topic — including how to create continuing education content — this self-guided e-learning course is the path for you!

Visit ThinkLab to continue reading the full story.