About This Episode
As businesses, we’re up against a new wave of customer expectations: more than three-quarters of buyers no longer want a traditional sales rep guiding them through the purchasing process. Gartner’s latest research makes it clear: about 75% of today’s buyers prefer a touch-free sales experience. If your website can’t meet these needs, you’re likely missing out on valuable sales opportunities.
Recently on Endless Customers, host Alex Winter and IMPACT’s Head of Web Strategy, Vin Gaeta, broke down what self-selection tools can do for your website and why they’re now essential for modern buyers. Whether your company is just beginning to explore self-selection tools or you’re already using a few, let’s explore why these digital tools are so effective, how they work, and the best practices for implementing them successfully.
Why Self-Selection Tools are Essential for Business Growth
For many years, sales relied on one key element: human interaction. But times have changed. According to Gaeta, “People don’t want to interact with a human anymore—they want the information instantly, without having to reach out.” Your website now acts as your digital salesperson, and the better it educates and qualifies your leads, the more it will deliver prospects who are truly ready to buy.
Gaeta stresses that while it may sound risky to automate more of the buyer journey, these tools allow businesses to “disqualify bad-fit prospects and focus on genuine opportunities.” In other words, by allowing visitors to understand if your services meet their needs, you help filter out the unqualified leads that might waste your team’s time.
The Five Key Types of Self-Selection Tools
Vin outlines the five major types of self-selection tools, each addressing specific stages in the buyer’s journey. Here’s a look at how these tools can reshape your sales funnel:
Self-Assessment Tools
Purpose: To help prospects understand their current situation and pinpoint their needs.
Example: Think of a scorecard-type quiz that asks users about their specific problems and delivers personalized recommendations based on their answers. By doing so, you’re not just selling; you’re educating.
Self-Selection Tools
Purpose: To show prospects exactly which solutions, products, or services can solve their unique challenges.
Example: Imagine a roofing company’s tool that helps clients understand if they need minor repairs or a full replacement based on a few questions. It moves buyers closer to seeing the value of your services without extra sales intervention.
Self-Configuration Tools
Purpose: To let users customize products or services to suit their exact specifications.
Example: Think of configuring a car online where customers choose paint colors, rims, and features. As they build their ideal product, they become more invested in making the purchase. “The more personalized, the more they’re likely to buy,” notes Gaeta.
Self-Pricing Tools
Purpose: To give prospective buyers a pricing estimate based on their specific needs.
Example: A pool company offering a self-pricing tool lets buyers explore costs for various pool shapes and materials. Gaeta notes, “People want to know what they’re signing up for, and even a ballpark range helps them see if they’re ready to engage with you.”
Self-Scheduling Tools
Purpose: To allow customers to book consultations or demos on their own time.
Example: If a buyer has explored your product’s features and knows your pricing, the next logical step is to schedule a meeting. This tool removes the back-and-forth and lets clients set up appointments in seconds.
Gaeta highlights that this fifth tool is essential because it keeps your sales team’s schedule open for high-quality leads, reducing the back-and-forth hassle and empowering the buyer to move forward at their convenience.
Implementing Self-Selection Tools: Where to Start
When it comes to adding self-selection tools, companies have two main options: custom-built or out-of-the-box. Here’s a closer look at both, with Gaeta’s take on the pros and cons:
Custom Solutions: Great for companies ready to invest in a tool fully aligned with their brand and UX needs. Custom tools may provide deeper data integration with your CRM, making them invaluable for companies with a clear sales vision.
Out-of-the-Box Solutions: These are perfect for businesses just testing the waters with self-selection tools. They’re generally faster and cheaper to implement but may come with limitations in customization or integration.
Gaeta suggests starting with an out-of-the-box tool to see how well it works with your audience. Once you have the proof of concept, you can then explore custom solutions to build a tool that fits seamlessly into your sales and marketing tech stack.
Integrating Self-Selection Tools with Your CRM
Integrating self-selection tools with your CRM isn’t optional—it’s critical. If these tools don’t sync with your CRM, your sales team won’t be able to leverage the data they gather. “If you’re not connecting these tools to your CRM, I wouldn’t even bother investing in them,” Gaeta advises.
Integrating your CRM with tools like Calendly or HubSpot’s scheduling tool ensures the data is always up-to-date and that sales can access valuable information in real-time. This integration allows sales reps to see each lead’s journey through your website, adding valuable context to each conversation.
Promoting Your Self-Selection Tools for Maximum Engagement
Building these tools is only half the battle. To get the most out of them, you’ll need to make them easily accessible across your website. Gaeta emphasizes the importance of having these tools on key pages, like your homepage and product pages, where they can attract the most visitors. He also suggests revisiting your top-performing blog posts to include these tools, ensuring you’re meeting your audience at every step of their journey.
“It’s not ‘build it and they will come,’” says Gaeta. “If you’re not pointing your audience toward these tools, they’re likely not going to find them.”
This approach also gives you the opportunity to start building a lead funnel, as Gaeta notes, tracking which tools are leading to conversions and which might need some adjustment.
You Must Tailor Your Site to the Modern Buyer
Self-selection tools meet your customers where they are in the buying process, making it easier for them to research, configure, and even price products without needing to speak to sales until they’re ready. These tools don’t just serve customers—they empower your sales team to focus on prospects who are already invested in your brand.
As Gaeta advises, the best way to start is by identifying the top priority for your audience: “Where can you create the most impact? Whether it’s a pricing calculator or a configuration tool, that’s where to begin.”
Connect with Vin
Vin Gaeta is IMPACT’s head of web strategy. He leads a team of designers, developers, and strategists to provide full-scale website redesigns for our clients.
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