Working with sales representatives has its own advantages during the needs and requirements stages, as well as during negotiations. A salesperson can help to lower buyer purchase regret, enable pricing negotiation and increase a customer’s confidence in their purchase decisions. Much of that key support is lost in a rep-free model, likely leading to fewer high-quality deals to close.

The shift to digital channels. The days of meeting the client or prospect in the office are fading away, and it is becoming difficult to even schedule face-to-face meetings with customers who are working from home.

This generational trend is where digital commerce sites play a role in helping the customer to assess their needs and determine their requirements. This could lead to a customer completing the sale without a sales representative or, at a minimum, supporting a click-to-lead model by delivering a fully qualified lead directly to a salesperson to close the deal.