Do Product Configurators Replace Sales Teams?

With thousands of active stores on the web and increasing consumer reliance on online shopping, eCommerce is thriving. There has never been a better time to buy goods online than now, and consumers get to enjoy the freedom of choosing from a wide variety of online and physical vendors. On the other side of the barricades, the vendors are locked in a heated and highly-competitive battle. They have to fight tooth and nail for every sliver of market share, which often requires the use of creative and daring tactics. A product configurator is one such approach that fits the bill.

What is a product configurator?

A product configurator typically represents a digital interface where a product can be customized. The essential parts of any configurator are: 1) a visualization of the item; and 2) options to customize it. Changes in the customization options are typically instantly reflected on the visualization, either through real-time 3D rendering or loading of a pre-rendered image. For example, a webpage that lets you choose the color of a shirt you want to buy and preview it can fall into the configurator category. Still, this solution is not limited to clothing, and numerous examples of it can be found in various fields.

What do product configurators have to do with sales ?

Customizable solutions of this type have been in use for over a decade, and businesses have noticed a significant overlap in their functions with sales and support departments. For instance, a study of the solution’s use by top automakers found that customizable solutions accounted for 56% of conversions among website visitors. These impressive stats beg the question: can configurators go beyond propping up support and sales teams and replace them entirely? Let’s find out.

Configurator vs Sales

In order to sell goods, a company needs to make them appealing to customers, provide an efficient order process, and engage in outreach.

Configurator

1. Fast checkout

When the application is connected to a website’s shopping cart, users can complete a purchase within a span of several minutes. They receive an instant confirmation when the process is complete.

2. Full freedom in customization

Customers are provided with all of the available customization options from the get-go, and can try selecting them, testing different combinations to get the most suitable variant.

3. Ample browsing time

Any visitor can spend as much time as they need picking their item. There is no time limit, and they can experiment for hours or longer as long as their internet connection remains stable. There is also no pressure to buy, as payment information is usually provided on a separate page.

4. Easy promotion

The availability of a customizer can be a great selling point, improving the marketing potential of a particular product. With the help of SEO, advertising, and other online strategies, you can promote the experience itself and not just the goods.

Sales Team

1. Guided checkout

A dedicated sales team can help complete orders for customers that would otherwise have difficulty with the process – the elderly, tech-illiterate, and disabled. Chatting with a sales representative, customers are also able to voice additional comments and requests that influence the order.

2. Personalized suggestions

When shopping for a product, not all customers know exactly what they want, and may want some recommendations. Direct communication (e.g. a voice call) with a sales rep not only provides a more personal and amicable experience, but also helps users get tailored suggestions based on their preferences and requests.

3. Bulk and special orders

Some orders cannot be completed with a standard shopping cart ---> checkout process, and require additional communication between the parties. For example, it could be a bulk purchase, a customer asking for a refund, or someone with a special request that goes beyond the capacities of the interface.

4. Avenues of communication

Sales representatives are best known for contacting potential clients and encouraging them to buy products. Thus, they use unique avenues like social media and face-to-face interactions to boost sales and look for potential business partners.

Conclusion

All in all, customizers are well-equipped to handle most sales and provide a pressure-free shopping experience. While communication with sales reps may take up more time, the medium of a chat, call, or conversation opens the door to a more personal and cordial experience. Furthermore, these specialists are essential for providing personalized suggestions and anecdotes, handling unique orders and requests, and reaching out to potential clients and partners through all methods available.

The Verdict

Unfortunately, configurators cannot serve as a full replacement to sales teams, at least in the current digital era. Without a doubt, they have a lot to offer to product-focused businesses, and any company that opts for the development of a custom product configurator can see big results within months. However, configurators are not a Swiss army knife for all customers’ wishes.

Configurators are most useful for sales teams, reducing their workload and handling the overwhelming majority of orders efficiently. However, they are not equipped to handle personal outreach, corporate networking, and business requests that require even a minimal level of discussion. Real people are needed for this. The same principle applies to support: while most relevant information can be provided in the interface, there is no way for complicated issues and requests faced by users to be handled without human intervention.

Perhaps in the future, AI and machine learning will be able to replace all of the functions of sales and support specialists, but for now, configurators are more of a supplement to them.