Death of the Sales Person
Death of the Sales Person
* Customers are better educated, better informed, have access to unlimited information and buying tools and simply have less need for you, the traditional sales person. In Business to Consumer (B2C) sales, there was a time when, if your customers wanted to buy clothing, they had to go to your store. You helped them find what they were looking for, told them about the fabric, the garment's construction and the manufacturer, give them feedback on how the garment looked on them and completed the transaction for them.
Then along came catalog sales, but you were still able to provide a similar level of sales service by telephone. Today online clothing stores help your customer find what they are looking for, tell them about the fabric, the garment's construction and the manufacturer, with the help of graphics show them how the garment would look on them from every angle, and complete the transaction for them. These sites have eliminated your sales job altogether.
* Vendor selection has become a very sophisticated process that has virtually shut out your traditional sales role. In Business to Business (B2B) sales, the internet provides your customer with similar advantages, plus it enables them to shop prices with auctions and reverse auctions. If you are still involved you probably boast titles such as capture manager, proposal manager or account manager. You are a manager, not a sales rep. You don't close sales; you simply manage the sales process, like any other business process. You manage the big deals and the big accounts. The small deals and the small accounts are handled by advanced tools on your company's web site or perhaps you are a telemarketer. The traditional outside sales rep's activities are nowhere to be seen.
* Customers have higher expectations of you. The Internet gives your customer information about your industry, company, your products, your key personnel, your competitors and even your profit margins. When purchasing a car today, customers research models and prices on the Internet. There they learn the price your dealer probably paid, the prices and equipment on comparable competitor vehicles, the reliability of the vehicle over the past five years and its ranking in various customer satisfaction surveys. To earn their business, they expect you the sales person to be at least as well informed as they are, to be respectful, appreciative even, of their knowledge. They probably also wanted an appointment, or at least be attended to promptly. If your customer previously purchased a car from your dealer and serviced it there they would expect you to be aware of that and to already have some understanding of their transportation needs.
* Telesales, direct marketing and online stores are decimating the numbers of sales outside sales reps. The biggest impact the e-commerce revolution is having is not on retailing but on business-to-business sales. The Internet enables customers to reduce the time they need face to face with sales people to get information and in small or repeat orders, in many cases eliminate it altogether. When business-to-business customers want to see a sales rep today they expect to see an executive, someone who can problem-solve, create and implement a complex, large ticket order. They do not need to see an order-taker, they do not need to see a product-pusher, they do not need to see a relationship-builder, they need to see a potential a partner who can assist them achieve some pretty significant and complex business objectives.
* Purchasing managers are trained in negotiating skills, buyers are skilled in partnership -building skills, and customers are using sophisticated decision-making models. You need to be able to engage then at this level if you hope to partner with them.
* It's a global economy and competition comes from home and abroad. Your local customer may source its supplies from anywhere in the world. Your multi-national customer may be buying for its worldwide operations. In either case, your customer expects you to be well informed of the global marketplace, their global needs and to show some understanding of and sensitivity to cultural differences. The person across the desk from you may not belong to the same ethnic or national background as you. People buy from people they like - and its easier to like someone who is like you. Failing that, customers look for people who respect differences. You are even more attractive if you are interested in, enjoy and celebrate differences.
Better informed customers, automated sales channels, better trained customers, and more diverse customers demand that sales people today be well-informed, well-trained and sensitive to cultural differences. Those that are will reap the rewards of partnering with their customers, selling broader and deeper into their accounts, and taking the lion's share of the commissions.
Death of the Sales Person - To learn more about this author, visit John Brennan's Website.
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Forces are at work to eliminate your job as a sales person.
* Customers are better educated, better informed, have access to unlimited information and buying tools and simply have less need for you, the traditional sales person. In Business to Consumer (B2C) sales, there was a time when, if your customers wanted to buy clothing, they had to go to your store. You helped them find what they were looking for, told them about the fabric, the garment's construction and the manufacturer, give them feedback on how the garment looked on them and completed the transaction for them.
Then along came catalog sales, but you were still able to provide a similar level of sales service by telephone. Today online clothing stores help your customer find what they are looking for, tell them about the fabric, the garment's construction and the manufacturer, with the help of graphics show them how the garment would look on them from every angle, and complete the transaction for them. These sites have eliminated your sales job altogether.
* Vendor selection has become a very sophisticated process that has virtually shut out your traditional sales role. In Business to Business (B2B) sales, the internet provides your customer with similar advantages, plus it enables them to shop prices with auctions and reverse auctions. If you are still involved you probably boast titles such as capture manager, proposal manager or account manager. You are a manager, not a sales rep. You don't close sales; you simply manage the sales process, like any other business process. You manage the big deals and the big accounts. The small deals and the small accounts are handled by advanced tools on your company's web site or perhaps you are a telemarketer. The traditional outside sales rep's activities are nowhere to be seen.
* Customers have higher expectations of you. The Internet gives your customer information about your industry, company, your products, your key personnel, your competitors and even your profit margins. When purchasing a car today, customers research models and prices on the Internet. There they learn the price your dealer probably paid, the prices and equipment on comparable competitor vehicles, the reliability of the vehicle over the past five years and its ranking in various customer satisfaction surveys. To earn their business, they expect you the sales person to be at least as well informed as they are, to be respectful, appreciative even, of their knowledge. They probably also wanted an appointment, or at least be attended to promptly. If your customer previously purchased a car from your dealer and serviced it there they would expect you to be aware of that and to already have some understanding of their transportation needs.
* Telesales, direct marketing and online stores are decimating the numbers of sales outside sales reps. The biggest impact the e-commerce revolution is having is not on retailing but on business-to-business sales. The Internet enables customers to reduce the time they need face to face with sales people to get information and in small or repeat orders, in many cases eliminate it altogether. When business-to-business customers want to see a sales rep today they expect to see an executive, someone who can problem-solve, create and implement a complex, large ticket order. They do not need to see an order-taker, they do not need to see a product-pusher, they do not need to see a relationship-builder, they need to see a potential a partner who can assist them achieve some pretty significant and complex business objectives.
* Purchasing managers are trained in negotiating skills, buyers are skilled in partnership -building skills, and customers are using sophisticated decision-making models. You need to be able to engage then at this level if you hope to partner with them.
* It's a global economy and competition comes from home and abroad. Your local customer may source its supplies from anywhere in the world. Your multi-national customer may be buying for its worldwide operations. In either case, your customer expects you to be well informed of the global marketplace, their global needs and to show some understanding of and sensitivity to cultural differences. The person across the desk from you may not belong to the same ethnic or national background as you. People buy from people they like - and its easier to like someone who is like you. Failing that, customers look for people who respect differences. You are even more attractive if you are interested in, enjoy and celebrate differences.
Better informed customers, automated sales channels, better trained customers, and more diverse customers demand that sales people today be well-informed, well-trained and sensitive to cultural differences. Those that are will reap the rewards of partnering with their customers, selling broader and deeper into their accounts, and taking the lion's share of the commissions.
Death of the Sales Person - To learn more about this author, visit John Brennan's Website.
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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