Looking Back Over the Last “Blink of an Eye”
For many of us that actively pursue the career of being a “Sales Professional”, the sales landscape changed nearly overnight. It seems that one day we awaken to find that burning up the roads on sales calls, standing endless hours at trade events like boat shows and making sure we maintained some acceptable level of product knowledge, was enough to be a sales success. Many of us simply waited for the customer to respond to our flashy ads and suddenly appear at our door where we only had to write the order and take their money as we proudly called ourselves a “salesperson”. And then it happened. The economy tanked, technology appeared and the consumer became far less complacent when it came to buying. Just think about it. Can you describe what your salesperson at Amazon looks like? Of course not, you’ve never seen them. Today we shop for cars and even homes before we consider having to make contact with a pesky salesperson.
The fact is, the people we sell to are doing a lot better at learning how to effectively buy than the majority of the sales industry is learning how to effectively sell. As a result, the buyer is finding that many times it’s easier and more beneficial to simply omit the salesperson in the buying process. This somewhat new means of buying eliminates the hassles from a sometimes high pressure sales person. Many times the purchasing process is easier due to online purchasing and many times the new process is less costly. These are substantial benefits since today’s buyer in nearly always educated on the product in question prior to beginning the actual purchasing process. The salesperson serves no benefit for many consumers largely because the salesperson has not changed his or her sales approach.
It seems like every day I run into people selling (not really a sales person) that tell me about making cold calls. They complain about how bad business is. A number of these sales pro want-a-be’s are in the insurance industry. Each day they take a lead sheet, make scores of calls while hoping someone will answer and then have mercy on them and listen to their sales pitch. First problem comes with the phone call. Most people screen their calls thanks to caller I.D. . More and more buyer have ceased to have home phones due to the increased popularity of the cell phones, but still they call. The second problem comes when the potential buyer answers the phone. At that time the sales want-a-be has less than 10 seconds to build a relationship and a level of trust with the person on the other end before they hang up. Can’t be done.
Today’s consumer lives in a world of email and internet. It’s a world that accommodates their need to buy and be sold on their schedule. They’ve turned to technology to help them in the sales process and to guard them from the intrusion of a person that many times offers little more than a sales pitch that is mostly based on a cheap price. These sales want-a-be’s are the ones that continue to use the economy as the reason for bad sales. Rather than reach out to technology and new sales concepts such as the new Sales 2.0 phenomenon that is based on the book by the same name, they look aimlessly out their door waiting on the change in the economy and their customers. Both of which will never again appear.
Sales Corpse or Sales Superstar
Today’s sales greats will be the ones that quickly embrace the terms like CRM (Customer Relations Management). This is a computer system that enables the sales professional to manage their sales leads more effectively while enabling them to manage more leads. They will also take advantage of the new concepts of email marketing that become more effective each day. The Sales Superstar has already learned that today’s customer wants solutions to buying hurdles such as financing issues and customization, not a sales pitch. Most of all, true Sales Professionals are learning that there are no shortcuts to success. They have already found out that “what got them here today will not get them any further tomorrow”. Today’s buying cycle is longer…..face it. The customer wants solutions not a sales pitch…..deal with it. Face to face sales calls are too expensive and far less productive……stop it.
So what now? Fill your sales pipeline with qualified leads. Build a relationship built of trust and integrity. Communicate often and offer guidance and help when and where you can. Remember, the sales person that helps the customer fulfill their wants and desires is the person that that customer will listen to now and in the future. Stop saying that my product or service will “sell itself”. Those days are over if they were ever even here. You can have the greatest product in the world and your door will never open and your phone will never ring without putting that product through today’s new “sales process” that includes technology and sales management. The new sales pro will be the one who will read, study and learn the new concepts and processes.
Should we call the undertaker for you or pick up your SUPERSTAR cape at the laundry for you?
