Create Buyers and Stop Selling!

The sales profession has undergone a considerable transformation in the last 40 years! Buyers expect more than ever, which means today’s salesperson must be competent business partners, knowledgable and trusted advisors, but most importantly, customer-centric. Consider the landscape changes since 2020! I can’t remember making a cold call in a long time, traditional marketing doesn’t seem to penetrate the noise, and people have no space for sales calls/meetings.

Last March, my strategy fell apart; I had planned and designed many things, but the pandemic hit, and everything fell on its head. I entered a profound reflection. It took me three months to reinvent myself to serve the market’s current needs (ref: this is not relating to Paradox, but I work for a SaaS company managing European sales and operations). Wow! The amount of uncertainty was daunting. People were trying to stay afloat and not wanting to discuss new services. I flipped my thinking. I honestly didn’t want to sell anymore. I was not particularly eager to offer services to customers who are already preoccupied. Selling into a tense environment is hard enough without the added layer of the pandemic. I didn’t want to add any additional pressure to an already fragile situation.

It got me to think of a metaphor from a good friend Dave Weller (www.breakfreeandthrive.co.uk). Selling is like casting a fishing rod, gripping a customer’s boat, and reeling them in! It is a form of resistance. A customer-centric salesperson happily sits on the beach while pointing out the boat’s paddles (value). Would the customer know if they had a problem, are they meant to be in the boat or on land? Create awareness so that the customer will row to you! How do that? It sounds cliche, but make sure your only motive is to do what is best for the customer!

Selling is best for you, not for them; people can feel agendas. Yeah, it’s gutting when you have to walk away, or if you know a competitor matches more customer needs, but eh, this honesty builds trust that pays much more than revenue on the board! What is the long-term vision? What is essential for customers, and how can I honour that? What value does a customer get for rowing to the beach? What problems does it solve?

I vowed to myself that in every interaction I had with someone, I made them smile! I wanted to be that person they could talk to for stability, normality, and a cuppa 🙂 Be human and look out for the people you work with!. It yields £££ and long-standing success.