Your next Sales person is quite an investment and a risk for your company.
Nowadays there is a breed of Sales executive latin name “Executivus Technicus Commoditus“. This species are found on trains, motorway service stations, or frequenting mass appeal TV shows.
They can be seen playing with their latest electronic gadget, whilst conversing with another of their species on their smartphone.
But, take these bits of modern technology away, how would they function? Would they find themselves from A to B? Would they know who to sell to? Would they be able to convince prospects of the merits of their product offering? Maybe, maybe not.
The worry today is that sales people are too dependent on gadgets, and are spending less time on SELLING SKILLS.
How many understand how to determine a clients needs? How many understand how to create a USP? How many just sell on price?
Whilst the old days of hand writing reports, researching potential clients through libraries, or calling the office in from a telephone box (with broken windows – whilst the wind and driving rain soaks your legs) are long gone, it would be interesting to see how this new species would cope without their comforts.
It would be a brave Sales Director who confiscated all gadgets for a period of two weeks from all the sales team. However, as an exercise it would certainly demonstrate the winners from the ‘also rans’!
The SGBA is full of seasoned professionals, all old enough to understand the real issues. A chat with us about your growth aspirations may prove very useful.
Happy Selling.
Ian Thomas FInstIB