Have We Lost The Ability To Sell?
If you give a
millennial a smartphone, making a call does not figure high on their
priorities. The latest apps will be downloaded, they will get straight onto
social media, and if they are particularly considerate, they will pop onto
Whatsapp to send their latest selfie to Grandma. Communication is instantaneous
and brief. Why waste time when you have hundreds of potential activities
contained within that little screen?
For any salesperson,
the phone should (still) have a mythical significance, whether it is of the
“smart” variety or whether it still has a cord attached…. The phone is the
starting point for building a relationship with someone. It enables you to
listen to them; you think about what they have said, and then you reply with
your own thoughts. It is called a conversation, and the best ones are far from
instantaneous. They build gradually in a crescendo of understanding, until both
parties feel that they are brothers (sisters) in some secret pact.
The art of
conversation over the phone is being lost, and it logically follows that we
will soon become less effective in our face-to-face dealings. Too many people
talk in text speak already – there is something utterly dismissive about
someone talking in broken sentences with you. They don’t have the time to spend
talking, they don’t value you enough, and they have better things to do.
If you want to
influence and get things done, you have to rediscover (or retain) the art of
conversation. While a hastily compiled email may contain all the elements of a
potential deal, there is nothing like hearing the assured tone of a spoken
promise, full in the knowledge that the person has taken the time to understand
where you are coming from. It is old-school, but for me, it is the only way to
make sure that things get done properly.
However, there is a
big “but” here. Things are changing. “What about the social selling
revolution?” I hear you cry. It is very true that technology is giving sales
people more options of staying in touch with our customers. We can listen to
their concerns on Twitter, we can showcase our products like never before (soon
coming in virtual reality), and we can market to our network in ever more
sophisticated (and relevant) ways. You might be a great face-to-face sales
professional, but if you are not using all the available technology, you may not
get to the stage of potentially closing the sale in the first place.
Technology is
supplementing conversational sales, but it is not replacing it.
For me, great sales is
all about engagement. The more chances that we have to touch people, the
better. When we respond to them, they feel that we care. When we change for
them, their loyalty will be assured. Engagement is something that can be built
over time, and certain longer sales cycles do need this gradual nourishment.
However, at the end of every cycle, when it comes down to getting that
signature on the contract, there is no technology that will ever be able to
beat a good, old-fashioned meeting.
If we lose the art of
the sales conversation, doing business will become infinitely harder.