Yesterday I visited the trade show, Online Marketing Düsseldorf (OMD). Generally, I was impressed with the quality of exhibitors. I noticed, to my delight, that the stands of web analytics vendors were especially well visited. But I also noticed that many exhibitors at the show did not take the time to ask what my needs were when I visited their stands. Instead, I received one canned sales pitch after another.
It occurred to me that a web analyst has some of the tools to make a good sales pitch. A good web analyst makes no assumptions, asks questions and listens carefully to the needs of the customers (website visitors). Obviously, a good salesperson does the same.
This service approach is hard work. It takes effort to listen. But it pays off in the end. And it is the only way to be successful. As a web analyst, that means taking the time to get to know the visitors on your site. Why are they here and how is the website meeting their needs? Understanding web analytics data requires a certain level of empathy to give meaning to the stream of data flowing in. As a salesperson, the same applies. What are my prospect’s needs and how can I assist?
So, my concluding insight after the OMD is that salespeople and web analysts can learn a lot from one another. Web Analysts often spend the better part of the day thinking about the needs, desires and motivations of visitors to their website. Salespeople, in turn, have tremendous insight into the pyschological aspects of selling, which is difficult to read from numbers. And, just like successful selling, the experience at OMD was a great reminder why it is so important not to lose focus on the customer!
