Why The Future of Sales is Hybrid (And How to Adapt): 5 Proven Strategies from Dropbox‘s VP of Sales

The world of sales has undergone a seismic shift in recent years. Even before the pandemic, virtual and digital selling was on the rise as buyers increasingly preferred the convenience and efficiency of remote interactions.

COVID-19 only accelerated this trend, forcing sales teams to quickly adapt to a virtual-first reality. And now, as we emerge from the pandemic, one thing is clear: the future of sales is hybrid.

In fact, a recent McKinsey study found that 70-80% of B2B decision makers now prefer remote or digital self-serve interactions over in-person engagements. This shift in buyer behavior is likely to endure beyond the pandemic.

As Debbie McClure, VP of Sales at Dropbox, puts it: "Hybrid selling is here to stay…Most importantly, hybrid matches how buyers want to buy."

So what exactly is hybrid selling? Simply put, it‘s a sales approach that combines virtual, remote selling with strategic in-person interactions. Hybrid sales teams use digital tools and techniques to engage buyers, build relationships, and close deals – while preserving the ability to meet face-to-face when it matters most.

The benefits of hybrid selling are significant. According to the same McKinsey study, virtual sales interactions can drive up to 50% more revenue by enabling broader, deeper customer engagement. Hybrid approaches also offer major cost savings, flexibility for buyers and sellers, and access to a wider talent pool.

But succeeding with hybrid selling requires more than just hopping on a Zoom call or sending a LinkedIn message. It demands a strategic, intentional approach to blend virtual and in-person selling – one that puts the buyer at the center.

Fortunately, pioneers like Dropbox have paved the way. Here are 5 proven hybrid sales strategies to leverage in 2022 and beyond, straight from Dropbox‘s VP of Sales.

1. Sell How Your Customers Want to Buy

Hybrid selling starts with a deep understanding of your buyers and how they prefer to engage.

"When you start looking at hybrid selling, the customer is at the center of it," says McClure. "You‘ll want to build a customer-focused model. At Dropbox, we ask customers what their preferences are – how they‘d prefer to collaborate with us."

This buyer-centric approach is backed by data. A LinkedIn State of Sales report found that buyers are 4.2x more likely to consider a vendor that demonstrates a clear understanding of their business needs.

So how do you gain that critical buyer understanding? Start by gathering intel through:

• Interviews and surveys with customers and prospects
• Analysis of past deals and sales interactions
• Social listening and monitoring of industry conversations
• Gathering feedback from customer-facing teams

The key is to identify patterns in how your buyers prefer to engage across their journey. Do they favor virtual interactions for early-stage research and in-person meetings for final negotiations? Do they expect self-serve options for simple transactions but high-touch support for complex deals?

Ultimately, the right mix of virtual and face-to-face engagement will depend on your unique buyers, offering, and sales process. The goal is to provide a seamless, buyer-centric experience across channels and touchpoints.

For example, Dropbox has evolved its sales plays to include a variety of virtual and in-person interactions based on buyer needs and deal stage. Early discovery and demos are often conducted virtually, with strategic face-to-face meetings reserved for high-value milestones. Contracts and closing also often happen remotely via digital document sharing and e-signature.

The lesson? Let your buyers be your guide as you design your hybrid sales strategy. Sell how they want to buy, and you‘ll be well positioned to win.

2. Embrace New KPIs for Virtual Selling

Hybrid selling demands some new ways of measuring sales success. While traditional KPIs like pipeline and closed revenue are still critical, embracing metrics that reflect virtual selling performance is key.

"One of our new KPIs is speed," notes McClure. "How fast can we respond to a customer‘s inquiry? Because that‘s important to our customer. And the more time we can free up for our sales reps, the more time they have to serve more customers."

Other potential hybrid selling KPIs include:

• Virtual sales meetings set and completed
• Digital content engagement (opens, clicks, shares)
• Social selling activity and effectiveness
• Cycle times for hybrid vs. traditional sales

For example, Lucidchart, a leading visual collaboration platform, tracks a metric called "virtual selling time" to measure how reps are allocating their time between in-person and remote selling. By monitoring this metric over time, they can optimize their sales plays and enablement for virtual engagement.

The key is to focus on leading indicators that reflect virtual selling activity and effectiveness, not just lagging revenue outcomes. This allows you to spot improvement areas and double down on virtual tactics that work.

Of course, revenue and profit metrics are still paramount. But by expanding your KPI mix for hybrid selling, you‘ll be better equipped to fine-tune your strategy and execution.

3. Make Virtual Selling Collaborative and Engaging

One of the biggest challenges of virtual selling is replicating the energy and connection of in-person interactions. It‘s all too easy for remote sales calls to feel impersonal or disconnected.

That‘s why top hybrid sales teams are intentional about making virtual selling collaborative and engaging. They use tools and techniques to foster active participation and construct meaningful dialog, even through a screen.

For example, Dropbox uses its own platform to facilitate seamless content collaboration during sales interactions. Reps can instantly share presentations, proposals, and other collateral, and even work on documents together in real-time.

"Technology has become so important in a hybrid world," says McClure. "Investing in tools that support the model is critical. We‘ve invested in technology that supports remote selling and sales team collaboration."

Other ways to drive engaging virtual selling include:

• Using video for more personal connection
• Leveraging interactive elements like polls, chats and whiteboards
• Sharing control and encouraging buyers to participate
• Breaking up monologues with frequent discussion prompts
• Preparing crisp, visually compelling presentation content

The key is to think beyond a standard slide deck and talking head. The most effective virtual sellers find ways to make buyers feel like active participants, not passive listeners.

Virtual engagement is especially critical in industries with complex, consultative sales cycles. For example, Outreach, a top sales engagement platform, equips its own reps to lead collaborative discovery and solution mapping in a remote setting. They use screen-sharing and digital whiteboards to facilitate interactive discussions and workshops with buyers.

The lesson? Virtual selling doesn‘t have to mean a sub-par buyer experience. With the right approach and tools, you can foster meaningful collaboration and engagement, even from afar.

4. Over-Invest in Sales Enablement Content

In a hybrid selling world, content is more important than ever. With fewer opportunities for in-person interaction, sales teams must rely on compelling digital assets to educate, persuade, and inspire buyers to action.

In fact, research from Seismic found that 70% of buyers now expect sellers to provide relevant content aligned to their needs at every stage of the buying process.

That means hybrid sales teams must over-invest in enablement content across the buyer‘s journey, such as:

• Blog posts and articles for thought leadership
• Ebooks, guides and whitepapers for education
• Customer case studies and testimonials for validation
• Product demos and tutorials for technical proof
• ROI calculators and assessments for value quantification
• Proposals and contracts for closing

The key is to create modular, reusable content that sellers can easily personalize and deploy in virtual interactions. This content should be housed in a central repository, integrated with the CRM, and organized by target persona, sales stage, and use case.

For example, Salesforce has built an extensive library of digital sales assets, from pitch decks to demo videos to proposal templates. Sales reps can quickly find and tailor content for specific opportunities, and track buyer engagement through analytics.

"Sellers need the ability to personalize content at scale," says Tiffani Bova, Global Growth Evangelist at Salesforce. "Relevant, resonant content can be the difference between a closed deal and a stalled cycle."

Of course, investing in the right content is just half the battle. Hybrid sales teams must also train reps to use content effectively in virtual interactions. That means coaching them on how to share content, elicit feedback, and seamlessly transition between talking points and collateral.

The lesson? In hybrid selling, content is your greatest asset. Arm your reps with a robust, accessible content library, and watch your virtual win rates soar.

5. Cultivate Culture and Community Virtually

Perhaps the most daunting challenge of hybrid selling is maintaining a strong sales culture and sense of community. With reps working remotely, it‘s easy for team cohesion and morale to suffer.

That‘s why leading hybrid sales orgs are deliberate about cultivating culture and collaboration in a virtual environment. They use rituals, communication norms, and technology to keep reps feeling connected and motivated.

"In a virtual environment, it‘s especially important to create opportunities to have real conversations on a regular basis," says McClure. "We have Ask Me Anythings, blitz days, and other regular events to bring the team together."

For example, Zoom, the ubiquitous video conferencing platform, uses its own technology to foster virtual sales community. The sales team has daily stand-up meetings, weekly wins sessions, and even virtual happy hours to bond and celebrate together.

Other ways to nurture virtual sales culture include:

• Hosting regular team meetings and off-sites (virtually or in-person)
• Encouraging cross-functional collaboration and communication
• Recognizing wins and milestones in creative ways
• Investing in virtual team-building activities and games
• Creating virtual "water cooler" spaces for informal conversation

The key is to be intentional and consistent in your efforts to bring the team together. Hybrid selling can be isolating without proactive community-building.

Technology can help too. For example, Slack has become the virtual office for many remote sales teams, with dedicated channels for sharing best practices, asking questions, and posting wins. Video platforms like Zoom enable face-to-face connection, while tools like Donut can facilitate virtual coffees and peer mentoring.

The lesson? Hybrid selling doesn‘t have to mean a fragmented sales culture. With the right approach and tools, you can foster a strong sense of community and collaboration, no matter where your reps are located.

Embracing the Hybrid Sales Future

The shift to hybrid selling may feel daunting, but it represents a massive opportunity. Sales organizations that embrace this transition and adapt accordingly will be well-positioned to capture the hearts, minds, and wallets of modern B2B buyers.

The five strategies outlined here – selling how your buyers want to buy, tracking the right hybrid KPIs, making virtual interactions engaging, investing in digital content, and cultivating virtual community – provide a roadmap for hybrid sales success.

But implementing them requires more than just lip service. It demands a fundamental rethinking of sales processes, technology, enablement, and culture.

As McClure puts it: "Hybrid selling presents a lot of opportunities for us to grow, learn, and mold what great hybrid selling looks like in the future."

The most successful sales leaders will approach this transition with a growth mindset, continuously experimenting and iterating based on what works. They‘ll seek out best practices from pioneers like Dropbox, while tailoring their approach to their unique context.

Ultimately, hybrid selling is a journey, not a destination. But for those who commit to it, the rewards – in buyer experience, seller productivity, and revenue growth – will be well worth the effort.

The future of sales is hybrid. Is your organization ready to embrace it?