The future of sales (part 2)

When new ideas are introduced to me, I have to hear / see / read them a few times for it to sink in, which is why I’m doubling-down on last week’s edition.

As someone who cut their teeth cold-calling through a huge stack of papers to give people on-the-fly insurance quotes, it pains me to say this: cold calling, cold emailing, and Linkedin DMs work right now, but this approach will likely not work in the future.

Don’t be the salesperson, sales leader, or business owner who is too stubborn to change their sales strategies to align with the way buyers want to buy.

High-level, the future of successful salespeople will master the following:

• Personal Branding - the medium of where sales is done might change, but the fundamentals don’t. People trust people, not companies. It’s wildly valuable for you to have a personal brand so your prospects know you’re a real person with real perspective.

• Content Marketing - that’s right, think of yourself as a marketer. The good news is, “content marketing” is as simple as consistently publishing your thoughts on your favorite social platform. This is tied to personal branding - pushing out your own unique perspective on what it is you’re most passionate about, or about the industry you’re in. Side Note: I’d throw caution to posting about your company’s product/services, don’t use Linkedin to sell, use it to build credibility and familiarity, and to network.

For these first bullets, there are tons of examples / proof this is already working. You just have to pause and observe Linkedin. Nearly everyone on that platform with a big voice isn’t just posting to post - they’re doing it to build a following, a sales funnel, and eventually revenue. One of the best doing this right now is Kyle Coleman, SVP Marketing at Clari.

• Communities - whether paid or free, you need to be a part of communities both in your functional space (if you’re sales, join sales communities) as well as your company’s industry (if you sell cybersecurity, join cybersec communities). The key is to never, ever sell. You’re there to observe, share your own perspective, and simply be a part of the conversation. Back to credibility and familiarity.

• Subject Matter Expertise - as we continue leaning into automation, we’ll have more time to truly become experts of our industry and product - something salespeople aren’t historically known for. But, buyers already are (and will continue to be) most receptive to conversations with salespeople who truly know what their product does and how it solves real problems.

• Partnerships - again, the fundamentals don’t change. Warm leads / referrals / introductions have always been a fantastic way to get in the door at a new company. As pure cold outreach subsides in the future, your ability to be introduced to your most ideal prospects will be extremely pivotal. Establish partnerships with product/service providers that work with your ideal customer, offer them a % of revenue, and get to work.

I realize this newsletter sounds very similar to last weeks, but it’s important to understand and accept that business continues to change quickly. Buyers are gaining more process control, it’ll get more difficult to reach people by phone due to phone screening services, and it’s up to use to evolve our strategies right along side an ever-changing business environment.

Don’t get left in the dust!