Are you wondering what’s next in the changing world of sales? AI is now a part of selling just as other technology became part of working with customers. The next change in sales might be worrying you. Here are my suggestions so you can stop worrying about the next change in sales.
Expect change in sales. Change will always be a part of sales.
You’ve probably heard the expression that the more things change, the more they say the same. It’s true. I’ve never seen a sales territory stay the same over just a few years. Most of the time the territories grow. Manpower is expensive and with larger sales territories you need fewer salespeople.
You can’t sell the same way in a larger territory as you did in a smaller territory. You can serve your customers differently, but not the same. Your time is limited. You are mistaken if you think you can allocate the same amount of time to your largest accounts as your smaller when your territory is larger.
When my territories grew I realized I had to work differently with my smaller accounts. Instead of face-to-face sales calls I made telephone calls. When my territory grew yet again, the smallest accounts didn’t even get telephone calls. I developed a newsletter for my customers and shared updated information with them. Of course, if these smaller accounts called me I would call them back. I just didn’t allocate my sales time to them.
Those salespeople who can’t adjust will suffer. I’ve seen it. So accept that change will always be a part of sales and learn to adapt. You other choice is to find another career that better suits your temperament.
Technology can assist you, but only if you use it.
Many of you can’t imagine running a sales territory without a laptop or iPad. I can remember when salespeople were provided with laptops . Yet some salespeople I worked with wouldn’t even open the box to see what was inside. Can you imagine that?
Why not first learn what technology is supposed to help you do instead of fighting all new technology? Not all technology is perfect when it’s first introduced so it’s important to be aware of how to use it and when it needs some more work.
I will caution you to be savvy about your complaints. You may have had some input on the development of the technology and know what the parameters were and weren’t. Unless you did, ask questions before you complain. Remember, management bought the technology for a reason. You might be perceived as overly negative when you complain.
Don’t be a jerk.
At its simplest level, all managers are looking to run profitable businesses. That means that sometimes someone just doesn’t work out in sales. What happens? Either management reassigns you or management lets you go. I’ve seen it over and over again. You’ll get a new assignment if management likes you. If not, you’re gone. So don’t be a jerk.
Selling is a people business and it starts with your own company. Remember the first point about things changing. The person you work with today could be your manager or senior manager in the future. You might think it’s possible to rebuild the relationship when you’ve damaged it, but I can tell you it’s going to be a very big challenge if you can do it at all.
What I’m suggesting to you is not new information. Heraclitus was a prominent philosopher who lived in ancient Greece around 500 BCE. He said, “The only constant in life is change.” And what he said hasn’t changed.