Prior to the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) many salespeople didn't have to work too hard or too smart to be successful in their roles.

Based on a combination of the strength of the Products/Services they were selling and a buoyant economy, Selling was relatively simple.

Banjar has observed many so-called 'salespeople' who, in reality, operate more as 'order takers'. From our observations an order taker might have a good customer-service skills and represent their organisation professionally, however, they lack the ability to develop a more sophisticated understanding of their customers and struggle to develop a strategic or tactical approach to Selling.

In what is expected to be an increasingly competitive global marketplace, organisations will need to distinguish between genuine salespeople and 'order takers'. 

As we move towards 2020 those companies that rely on ‘Blind Faith’ in their sales teams will find it increasingly difficult to achieve or maintain growth and success.

An unhealthy belief that a strong Sales Function can save a struggling organisation is an unfortunate characteristic of the difficult economic conditions we currently face. The belief that a good Sales Function can lift a struggling business with poor products and services inevitably leads to disappointment. Although an investment in the Sales Function may lead to a 'spike' in sales, the increase will not be sustainable if the products and services of the business are not of a sufficiently high quality.

Before an organisation seeks to strengthen its Sales capability it needs to ensure that its core products and services are sound. Modern consumers and buyers are sufficiently astute to recognise inferior offerings and will soon abandon organisations that are not meeting their expectations.

The following Product Salability Table provides a quick reference-point for assessing where an organisation's core products or services are positioned as far as quality and affordability are concerned. An understanding of this dimension can inform the type of Sales approach 

The foundational elements of effective Selling

In order for an organisation to perform well and generate strong Sales, it needs a well-documented and understood Sales Process.

The unique nature of most businesses means that the Sales Process should be customised to their organisation.

Some 'constants' however remain in all Sales Processes including

·      identifying prospective clients,

·      understanding customer needs,

·      recognising opportunities,

·      demonstrating capability,

·      submitting customised proposals and

·      negotiating deals.

Documenting and supporting all stages of the Sales Process is critical to efficient and effective Sales. 

Once an organisation enters a Sales Process it needs to do more than just outline the features and benefits of its products and/or services.

Highlighting the capability and history of the organisation is also important but these messages alone will not ensure Sales success.

 A deeper Sales Process essentially means an organisation needs to more-thoroughly understand the nature of the prospective client.

A deeper Sales Process will mean that an organisation can intimately understand the complexity of the client's current requirements and offer new insights and intelligence to deal with the challenges they face.

These 'problem solving' qualities will define a deeper Sales Process and will become critically important to an organisation's Sales success.

Successful B2B Selling in 2020 will be characterised by collaboration and 'extended enterprise thinking'. In addition to thinking about their own success, organisations will need to consider how they provide solutions to help their clients achieve long-term sustainable success. 

Salespeople today have less influence in the early part of the Sales Process than they once did. Knocking on the door of a prospective client and outlining the features and benefits of their product is unlikely to generate the necessary results.

B2B Sales organisations need to recognise these changes and adjust their Sales strategy and approach accordingly.

Organisations can still influence prospective clients at the early stages of their Buying Process, however, this challenge is better defined as a 'marketing opportunity' rather than a responsibility of Sales.

A narrower process means that the Selling 'window' for B2B organisations opens and closes far more rapidly.

A narrower process means organisations need to fully understand 'when' and 'how' genuine Sales opportunities emerge.

It is in the 'deeper' part of the Sales Process where the real Selling happens.

Sales Shift relates to ‘when’ and ‘how’ sales people will interact with prospective clients in the future.

Given that today we can access organisational information through ‘virtual’ means, clients haved already moved through significant stages of the traditional buying cycle before they even have a conversation with a sales representative. 

So, what does this mean?

Rather than waiting for a company to knock on their door, the purchasers are likely to scope their own needs, define the nature of the solution required and develop a short-list of potential providers capable of delivering a solution. It is only at this point that they initiate the Sales Process with prospective organisations and equally, it is at this stage that the Sales Capability of the potential provider will determine their eventual success.

Simply put, sales professionals are no longer involved in the initial stages of a selling process – clients are doing that own their own. Only seeking out professional input when they have refined their search criteria and needs.

These changes are transforming the way organisations need to think about Selling within their enterprise. The emerging shift effectively means that the nature of B2B Selling is becoming narrower but deeper. 

By now, most of you will have downloaded our Sales Shift 2020 White Paper.

We have had some amazing feedback and would like to share some of it with you through our regular blog. For those that haven’t got their copy yet, please do so, so you can share the knowledge and insights.

The purpose of the paper was to look at the shift currently happening in sales in context with the changing business landscape. We want to help shed light on the changes you may need to make to transform your organisation to meet these challenges, and indeed thrive.

The crux of any position on this topic is that sales must be regarded as an essential and valued position within a business. All sales functions are linked to every component of a business and reflective of the organisations goals and values.

It is essential that the Sales Manager and Sales Staff adopt an attitude of pride and calm urgency to see the shift managed with a professionalism that will inspire and unite. We aim to assist in this process by looking closely at particular elements and explore how they have been effective in forward thinking organisations and how you too may adopt similar thinking.

We look forward to your thoughts and comments and discussing the points amongst our ‘Tribe’. Please encourage other Sales Professionals to join in and contribute to our fortnightly posts. 

Here is my reading list for this year. These fine books inspired me, encouraged me and changed my thinking. What will you do with them in 2013?

Enjoy!

To Sell is Human by Daniel H. Pink - Explore the power of selling in our lives.

SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham - A book I revisit year in, year out. There is always something to pick up on to improve sales performance effectiveness.

Sales Cats V2 by Mike Boyle - Yes gratuitous self promotion I know, but version 2 has a significant change. Can you pick it out? It may make a difference in your salesmanship!

Good to Great by Jim Collins - Haven't got the time to spend investigating what you company needs to become a great one? This book has done all the research and discovered  the distinguishing characteristics that cause a company to go from good to great!

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell - What makes high achievers different? Gladwell brilliantly explores why  your personal upbringing and where you are from play such an important part in your success.

Switch by Chip and Dan Heath - How to we balance the rational mind with the emotional mind to achieve change in our business and personal lives? In this book we learn why and how!

Tested Sentences that Sell by Elmer Wheeler - A classic read for any salesmaker. Learn how to uncover the most persuasive benefits in everything you sell. As Wheeler says, "learn to sell the bubbles not the wine"!

Let me know of any great reads you have discovered this year. I can add it to my holiday reading list!

Boiler.

Well if it isn't you're in big trouble!

I was reading a Zig Ziglar article the other day and this point jumped out at me. How true I thought.

More and more we are seeing managers and business owners pulling their hair out, frustrated at their staff going in different directions and missing their targets.

Good business starts on the inside. Your team must believe in you and what you are trying to achieve. 

“The belief in the value of what you do or sell has to be so strong that everyone who comes in contact with a customer exudes confidence in the company and the product”.

When this is the case everyone is prepared to pitch in.

If your team is not on your team – STOP!  Step back and take 5 minutes to reset for yourself the goals for your business. Detail it out in a One Page Plan: the Now – Where – How.

Share this with your team and work together to plan the route to get there. Then set them free on meeting the needs of your customers through your product or service.

Boiler

I've just returned from the Albury BMI week where I ran a workshop on Innovation.

On the morning of the workshop, I drove down Dean Street and noticed the town clock, in the iconic building on the corner of Kiewa Street, was stuck on 3pm. You know a regional centre has stopped thinking about its future when the clock has stopped and the battery not changed! 

I challenged my group on this point and an innovative concept.

With a population of around 60,000 there is a massive opportunity to build something better when it comes to retail and the regional experience.

I boldly suggested that they put a roof over Albury and rebrand it 'Albury One dot com.' There were looks of dismay. Their brains were thinking one way, and mine, another.

Not corrugated iron roofing I suggested, which was the conclusion they all clearly jumped to. A brand, a destination, an experience, a performance I explained. 

See, I believe their shopping precinct has lost it's mojo. It has turned into rows of shops with stuff on shelves with nice flower pots and speed humps as the attraction.

Shopping should be a performance, an experience of the senses. It should be like poisonous gas! It should make you clammy, cry, laugh, sweat, run, stop and drop. Albury needs to rethink it's retail purpose. 

Create an environment like Disneyland where everything they do in the magic kingdom is a performance. As 'Albury One dot com' the hundreds of retailers in Albury/Wodonga could leverage their marketing spend, logistics expense, website presence, training and supply chain. They could align themselves into categories like a Chadstone or Highpoint West shopping centre. Once that was done they could then entertain attracting customers to the value, not just the product. They need to  develop innovative ways to attract people to experience their shops again. Create clever events, entertain, engage customers and bring back the pizazz so sorely missed in retail today.

Think about it. Why do you really go to a restaurant? For the food? Be honest, you go for the experience. To catch up with friends, to laugh, to share and to engage the senses. Food is a given. The problem is most owners of restaurants charge for food only which demonstrates they think they are in the food business when they really should be in the entertainment business. There is no competitive advantage in selling just stuff.

It's time to change the clock Albury.

Boiler