There is a brave new world of sales, that at least is what we are told, but I want to share with you here and now that the way we sell has not changed in many years, that is because most good sales processes stick to the human psychology that we all share when it comes to buying and selling.
Technology changes and the mechanisms change but the fundamentals of sales stay the same regardless of the changes we see in the world around us.
Change is a constant part of business and the way we buy has been changing slowly but surely for as long as I can remember, that’s a long time! This is a change that has two clear characteristics, technology and information. But there are other characteristics which are the same today as they were all those years ago when I first started my journey in business after leaving the Army.
These characteristics feature the basics of sales which despite all the advancements in technology have not changed at all in that time. That is because for the most part the art of selling is based very much on human psychology. Different fads and languages may come and go in the world of sales, but as you drill down to the root of selling the core skills stay the same, be they transmitted by humans or through artificial intelligence mimicking the human touch.
As technology has taken a more pivotal role in mainstream business and in particular the lean small businesses, we have become more accustomed to using technology in sales, particularly remote online sales, or virtual sales as many prefer to call them.
While the fundamentals of sales remain the same there has been one significant change as the world moved and continues to move away from the older style interruption techniques. This included predominantly standard advertising, still popular on TV and in magazines. I call this type of marketing ‘interruption technique’ because that is predominantly what it is. Think about it, you’re sitting down with the family to watch a movie and every 15 minutes or so your enjoyment is interrupted by advertisements. most of us will either fast-forward if we have that facility or ‘channel hop’ during the ads or even the ever-popular, go make another cup of tea!
So, despite the sales fundamentals staying the same, there is a change to the technique used and that is a move toward an emphasis on more information and education-based marketing, leading to the eventual sale using the techniques of creating value ladders and associated multiple-layer sales funnels online with specific landing pages, based around bundled products and special offers underpinned with up and down-sell capabilities.
This also means that the gap between marketing and sales is getting ever narrowed by the advent of online technologies and the acceptance that the passage of quality information and educational data is now the mainstay in marketing, leaving less to do in the area of traditional sales. Less to do does not mean there is nothing to do to and does not dilute the importance of the skills needed to sell. Selling is not just about products and services. Selling is about ideas and changes too. The production of content becomes even more important to this process.
Marketing through posting, landing pages and sales funnels, when done correctly contributes significantly to the eventual sale. That said, it is the construction of your sales process that needs to be given as much attention as the content you produce. How much selling you need to do is very much dependent on the quality of the marketing strategy and content all adding to your connection with the market.
So what is left for the salesperson to do? The answer to this question is plenty. Albeit simpler and more about relationship than salesmanship. Depending on the product people still like to buy from people. They may go online for the data and the research but unless you are a major brand, they still want to talk, in person, on Zoom or on the phone to an individual they can trust, who knows all the answers and will give them that final jolt of confidence to complete the sale. In the new world of selling, we can add to this the virtual relationship between brand and customer based on the production of content with a personal and caring touch. We will look at this next, and introduce to you the 7C’s of Sales.
Before we do I want to just talk for a moment about the future of face-to-face B2B (Business to Business) sales and the increasing popularity of so-called virtual Sales. The trend toward virtual selling was always on the cards, in 2020 through to 2022, this was given a boost by the pandemic and I just wanted to point out that even without the pandemic virtual sales were coming down the track at pace and in reality, it makes perfect sense to include virtual selling into the stable of tools we use. In particular, I am referring to the construction of Value Ladders and the Sales Funnels they should result in.
The 7C’s of sales are not weighted toward the method used in terms of technology but are simply showing you the way to make progress virtually or in person. The process is predominantly the same. Elements of the market may well tell you something different to this and that is to be expected because each time something changes the market is flooded with ‘new’ products, services, books, courses etc. The reality is technology may change and we may move marketing close to sales but the process remains the process because it is seated in human behaviour, which is not changing at all, or at least not fast enough to be noticed.
Mindset & Sales
Before I get into the process I do want to take you back once again to the importance of maintaining the right mindset for you and your business. This we have covered in some detail in this book called The Seven C’s Of Why, and in other elements of the training resources on the Rainmakers Hub.
We certainly deal with it in even more detail in the development program, which I hope you will be inspired to continue with and take seriously because within the coaching are all the answers you need to create the success you deserve in return for your efforts. Believe me, the two are linked, the sooner you embrace that fact the better. I wanted to talk about the mindset, your mindset, with a specific slant toward sales and the development of your skills.
If I asked you, are you a salesperson, what would your answer be? If your answer was akin to the following, then it’s a big thumbs up from me and we can continue. If it is not then we need to go to work on that and change things for you. The answer I am looking for is as close as possible to the following:
‘…yes, I am a salesperson in my business, in reality, we all are…’
You may or may not be surprised to learn how many business owners there are out there who do not consider themselves to be in sales. To put the record straight, business leaders are all in sales every day. They have to sell internally and externally. Sales are nothing more than communication with a specific outcome in mind and every good business leader cannot do their job without selling.
So for those that need it here is a reminder, that the way you think about yourself will in actual fact influence the way you act and perform, it will also impact those you choose to surround yourself with, so select with care.
You do, in other words, become what you think about the most. So if you keep telling yourself you cannot sell, or you are no good at sales, then that is exactly what you will be! Let us work on changing that, after all, what is selling really, when all said and done?
Selling is nothing more or less than communication and in business, we must communicate, otherwise, there is no point in us being in business. Business is all about communication, creation and serving others.
I want you to consider the following points and give them some serious and candid thought:
- Is the product or service you are selling something you are obsessive about?
- Does it come to mind when you think about the things you are passionate about?
- Does the prospect of talking to a potential client excite you?
- Do you avoid asking closing questions, or asking for the business?
If you answer yes to all but one or more of these questions, we are on the right track. If, however, that is not the case we have a need to revisit your mindset and perhaps your understanding of some of the core elements of sales.