B2B sales has undergone major transformation in recent years. In addition to the continued growth of salestech, B2B sales teams have embraced wider trends in consumer behavior.

As buyer behavior evolves, sales teams have to be ready to keep pace with rising expectations. And that means staying ahead of the trends that will define B2B sales processes in the months and years to come.

In 2020, there are 5 emerging sales trends to keep an eye on—the return of cold calling, predictive analytics, formalization of sales enablement, data privacy, and dedicated sales content creation.

1. The Return of Cold Calling

Cold calling is certainly nothing new for B2B sales teams. But in recent years, cold calling has taken a backseat to things like content marketing and inbound marketing as buyers become more resistant to disruptive communication. In 2020, we’re going to see the pendulum swing back in favor of cold calling.

However, cold calling strategies in 2020 won’t be the same as they used to be. Rather than disrupting any and every contact that seems relevant, it’s more important to take a targeted approach to cold calling. To improve your chances of engaging with prospects, you need to know whether or not a contact is in the market to buy your products and services. That means having the data to qualify prospects ahead of time, research their unique pain points, and tailor communications specifically to their needs.

2. Predictive Analytics and Artificial Intelligence

Machine learning, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics have been promised to sales for years now. While the technologies haven’t delivered in years past, 2020 is the year that tools evolve enough to help sales teams drive results. In many cases, this will make all the difference in your ability to personalize sales communications for individual contacts and prospects.

In years past, predictive analytics were limited to what happened in the vacuum of your own sales funnel. Heading into 2020, fueling predictive analytics modes with buyer intent data can show you how a buying committee behaves as they research competitors and general pain points. Two-thirds of buyers are willing to pay more when the sales experience is personalized. Predicting their behavior and efficiently surfacing relevant content offers will be key to unlocking that potential.

3. Formal Focus on Sales Enablement

Sales enablement has been a growing practice for nearly a decade. And while the practice saw a massive spike in adoption (from 32.7% in 2016 to 59.2% in 2017), the reality is that strategies have been more ad hoc than anything.

A few years ago, having any sales enablement processes at all was a differentiator among sales teams. Now, as the majority of companies embrace sales enablement to some degree, you need to do more to stand out. In 2020, that means formalizing your sales enablement strategy by documenting processes, creating internal systems to monitor performance, and spending more time aligning operations to the customer journey.

4. Data Privacy and Third-Party Providers

It’s no surprise that data privacy and security are top concerns for B2B companies heading into 2020. The problem is that just 57% of them are confident in their ability to meet privacy demands. With GDPR in full effect and CCPA going into effect to start the new year, more needs to be done to address data privacy.

This is especially problematic for teams that rely on third-party data to support sales communications. All it takes is one non-compliant provider to leave your company with heavy fines and penalties. However, emerging data privacy regulations shouldn’t force you to only use first-party data.

In 2020, sales teams will focus more on working with third-party data providers that can guarantee compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and any other regulations that emerge.

5. Dedicated Sales Content Creation

There are more people involved in B2B buying processes than ever before. And all of them are conducting their own research. That has made content a core pillar of all B2B sales communications. But for the most part, sales teams have relied on marketing to provide relevant content from an existing library that they then spin for each conversation.

Because content is so important to B2B sales, we can’t keep taking such a passive approach. In 2020, sales teams will invest more in dedicated content creation. Whether that means hiring sales content experts or working with marketing to create more custom assets, we can expect sales content creation to become a more formal practice.

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