Tell me if this sounds familiar: you call, you get voice mail, you leave voice mail, you don’t get calls back. “It’s okay!” your Manager tells you, “just pound the phones and you’ll get a live one.” How many times have you done this and heard this?
It’s an all too familiar and frequent event occurring thousands of times/day all throughout the world with sales people. I was trained like this, too. It didn’t matter what my reasoning was as to why people weren’t picking up the phones, the answer was “just pound the phones and you’ll get a live one”.
So folks, it’s official: many sales people in the sales community are – insane. Doing the same things each and every time expecting different results is the dictionary definition of it.
Time and time again, sales people are trained to do things differently but we seldom practice it. As sales professionals, we’re wined and dined by channel reps, vendor reps, our own managers and executives and so we’ve developed egos the size of Montana. We’re the cockiest and coddled sales generation that’s ever lived. It doesn’t make it better that expensive and over the top sales meetings, kickoffs, all those fantastic keynote speakers, and yet…we’re in the same boat. Back at square one. What gives?
I’m really digressing, so back to the point of why we “pound the phones” when it’s not working as well as it used to. If you’re a sales leader, don’t kid yourself that it is. Stop ignoring the reality because I’ve got your Reps on the other line calling me like I’m their Therapist. It’s obvious that we’re all a little to blame here. The buck stops with all of us; our entire community of so-called “professionals”.
Like I said, because we’re so cocky we’ve forgotten the basics of being human. Do you expect a prospect to actually say, “Sure Bob, come on down and let’s meet face to face so I can learn more about product” when you call and harass them by phone? Approaching prospects as human beings with respect is what’s needed. No one gives a heck if you were 130% of plan last year or made President’s Club.
Maybe I’m an idealist, even a little bit foolish, but I’ll tell you: the ends don’t justify the means. The Boiler Room B2B sales departments all across the world need to realize this. The days of selling products without giving a damn about your customers is gone folks. Company slogans declaring customer love is one thing, but practicing it in your sales is another.
The ones that add value today will win in the long run. Realize this and you’ll prosper. Practice it and you’ll win!
The Bottom Line
Social Selling is today’s medium of choice for sales professionals who want to have meaningful and human conversations with buyers. It demands that buyers are central to the equation. It’s a radical shift in thinking and practice. Those that are doing it are winning. Those that are not are…well, you let me know. Remember, Social Selling isn’t difficult; it’s just different.
To learn more about Social Selling check out 10 Steps to Becoming a Social Selling Machine. For tips, tricks and more rants, let’s set up a time with my below schedule …
