1. More Sales jobs than salespeople
  2. More specialists are being hired
  3. More professionalism around sales and seeing it as a career
  4. Clients search out the vendor
  5. The job of the salesperson has shifted from ‘selling at’ to ‘partnering with’

 

More Sales jobs than salespeople

The upper hand is held by the salesperson; hence you find yourself ‘selling’ them the job more than they selling themselves. As a leader who is recruiting you need to be more accurate than ever in knowing what the job is and the shifting job description. You need to look for someone who can adapt, shift, and grow with the advancing job requirements.

Job ads need to be more on point. Touch someone emotionally. Be exciting. To get through the first round is often to send in a 1-minute video, that saves hours of speaking to people who are not appropriate. First-round interviews are through video conferencing. Psychometric tests help in multiple ways i.e., ensure we are objective and do not let the desperation show through. Shows us the actual person, and helps us know what we are taking on. Guides us on how to lead that person and what will come naturally in the job and where training will be required. And then you need the person to balance the ‘what can you bring to the table’ with ‘this is what we offer’ hence getting professionals to do the interviews is happening more and more. Different needs are showing up from candidates, the flexibility of working hours, WFH and career development are key conversations.
The cost of recruitment is high, and the cost of getting the wrong person is higher.

 

More specialists are being hired 

Traditionally, sales roles have been associated with charismatic individuals armed with persuasive communication skills. However, a paradigm shift has occurred, with a noticeable rise in the number of salespeople possessing strong technical backgrounds. This surge can be attributed to the increasing integration of technology in every facet of business operations. Technology has become the cornerstone of business operations. As companies harness the power of data, automation, and advanced analytics, they require sales professionals who can effectively bridge the gap between complex technological solutions and client needs. This has given rise to a new breed of salespeople: those with a deep understanding of both the products they are selling and the technology that powers them. Read more here >>>

 

More professionalism around Sales and seeing it as a career

I’ve been in sales for over 30 years and witness a complete turnaround from who is moving into sales and the attitude around salespeople now seeing it as a career path. In the last 15 years as a Sales and Leadership trainer, the shift in attitude has been even more palatable. I used to have 90% of people want ‘quick fixes’, seeing sales as ‘innate’ and just ‘help them close please’. Now almost all our time (more than 90%) is spent investing time in mapping out development pathways, what skill is next and building layer upon layer of the skills needed to succeed and thrive.

Going from foundation to mastery. Salespeople are proud of their role, taking it seriously. They are invested in their development and evolution of skills. They see training as part and parcel of the job to be polished, sharp, and ahead of the curve. We have more self-invested than ever before. We have most of our community use the Academy resource hub – an online community with podcasts, eBooks, guides, templates, live free masterclasses, videos, and full courses. Phase one of this online was 8 years ago and the take-up rate was under 5% of our clients, now it’s 95%. The ‘stickiness’ (they become members and stay) of this is also apparent with almost all members continuing the subscription. This is of course due in part to companies doing a better job of understanding how to make an online resource platform more interesting, exciting, and full of value. The types of content consumed has shifted to more on ‘Trusted Advisors’, ‘partnering’, ‘integrity’, ‘understanding/questions/listening’ and ‘strategy’ and less emphasis on ‘get the sale over the line quick’.

 

Clients search out the vendor

Accessibility of Information: Customers have quick and simple access to a variety of information on goods, services, suppliers, and reviews on the Internet. With this knowledge, customers are more equipped to choose. They do extensive research and comparison shopping before making purchases. They can choose the greatest fit for their needs by comparing features, costs, and reviews from numerous vendors.

Social Proof: Online communities and social media sites are having a big impact on what people decide to buy. Customers frequently ask their colleagues for recommendations and reviews, which directs them to businesses with a good reputation. Google reviews are combed through, LinkedIn reviews and testimonials. With this in mind, a company needs to ensure their outbound marketing, website, and LinkedIn profile needs to both entice and sell.

The first point of human contact that that client interacts with (call, online form, chat) no longer is seen as a triage and ‘flick the call’ to someone else, but instead seen as making the first sale, the most important sale–selling the company. Ensuring that that prospecting client knows they are in the hands of ‘trusted advisors’, ‘experts in the field’. We refer to these crucial individuals as ‘The Director of first impressions’. So that means ensuring your front-line team is armed with enthusiasm, knowledge and exceptional sales skills.

 

The job of the salesperson has shifted from ‘selling at’ to ‘partnering with’

Let’s start with what Sales Leaders are after.

30 years ago it was:

Extrovert, resilient, likeable, a good talker and driven. Now it’s professional, proactive, accountable, creative, self-regulated & resilient (high EQ), and motivated. The list goes on (we don’t ask for much)! But mainly it’s those areas above. Notice that the first word is ‘professional’. The rise of clients able to investigate vendors before they reach out or check out who you are, has meant that the extraverted, talk the hind legs of a donkey, can sell ice to the Eskimos (shall I go on, you get my drift) approach is Gonski.

The salesperson’s intent has shifted from ‘sell at’ to ‘understanding and partnering with’ and when your intent shifts then everything about how you operate shifts.

A client needs a professional, sophisticated approach where the salesperson is focused on partnering with them. First fully understanding them, collaborating, and working together for a common goal. No more ‘show up and throw up’ or ‘let me run you through our pitch’ or ‘spray and prey’ (gosh I love those terms). They need to be more relationship-focused, and really understand the marketplace, their solution, and the competitors’ solutions.

They are helping the client, with obvious pain plus educating on areas that the client may not yet know they need. The pace, the interaction, and the sophistication of the conversations have moved. They are thinking long-term. Salespeople know that to survive, they need their clients to stick around, purchase other relevant companion products and refer them on.

Skills are now more about reading people, being strategic, using the CRM for planning and due diligence, better connection and engagement and exceptionally tailored responses (what a shame, no more duplicating a ppt and leaving on a previous client’s logo, I do miss that).

Find out more in our Masterclass >>>