The Salesperson of The Future. Will They Truly Evolve and Be Different or Is it Just About Living It?
Jul 24, 2009 Career Advice, Sales Coaching, coaching for managers, sales articles, sales tips
During a recent interview, I was asked, “What does the future hold for the work force, especially for salespeople? How will the salesperson of tomorrow change or be different to adapt to the times?”
Of course, my visceral reaction was to come up with something so transformational and insightful that it would reshape the landscape of professional selling and salesmanship. But after I paused and thought more about this question at a deeper level, I realized this may not be truly possible. After all, when it comes to selling, outside of the apparent changes in technology that continues to shape the Sales 2.0 evolution, what has changed over the years? Is there really a new definition for professional selling? If we were to look at the role, responsibility, skill set, behavior, attitude and overall disposition that makes a sales champion, is the anatomy of the top salesperson from 50 years ago to today and well into tomorrow really all that different?
While I believe there are some inherent changes we will see within the workforce when it comes to redefining the role of the traditional salesperson, the real difference will be evident in those companies who truly embrace and implement these changes and actually model this definition of sales mastery, as opposed to those who simply know about it but don’t do anything measurable to change. The economy over last two years has certainly done a wonderful job validating and exemplifying this ever widening gap. Consequently, this exposes the real opportunity for us and the timeless distinction between knowing it and doing it.
We are a society that is knowledge rich but execution scarce. While we are wealthy in wisdom and information, we are often lacking in seeing new ideas, strategies and activities through to completion and implementing the new behavior, thinking or technology to the point that it produces the desired change we’re looking for. After all, intention without action is still a diversionary tactic. (The real evolution will take place with the sales manager, who needs to become a sales coach to ensure these changes are, in fact made, but that’s a different blog and a different book 
Regardless, I do have my view of tomorrow’s salesperson and this is the transformation I envision that salespeople must not only understand and embrace but put into practice so that it truly becomes part of their DNA.
The salesperson of tomorrow will continue to evolve beyond their traditional role and become more embedded into their customer’s business and the decisions that affect every facet of their operation.
The true sales professional will be relied upon as a valuable resource and a trusted, consultative adviser throughout the entire selling process; and beyond. This doesn’t mean focusing solely on relationship selling because those salespeople who are doing so are the ones who are struggling today. Great relationships don’t always equate to more sales. While additional time must be spent fostering stronger relationships with key clients, this isn’t about calling them just to ‘check in’ but having a more strategic set of timely questions that will help you better understand how the current economic climate has affected the way they do business and make purchasing decisions.
This will help us accurately connect to what the true meaning of value is to our customers, as opposed to what we generically assume it to be and as such, enable us to deliver on this at a much deeper, more significant level.
We need to take a closer and more holistic look at ourselves from the inside out while challenging our customers, the media and status quo. Therein lies the opportunity to elevate yourself and become the champion you know you can be.
Tags: definition of selling, Sales Coaching, sales team, sales tips, Sales Training, salesmanship, salespeople, selling
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August 4th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Interesting post Keith. You are spot on and the future is now!
Respectfully,
Paul Castain
September 29th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
The Sales Person of the Future: Will They Truly Evolve?...
As the landscape of business changes, what does the future hold for the professional salesmen? Will they need to change with the times?...
September 30th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
The salespersons with out a doubt has to evolve the best example of themselves to prove the product.
September 30th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Kieth,
I totally agree and the future is now. The entire sales process may have changed with Google and social Networking. Salesmen should be a valued and often under utilized resource.
September 30th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
I work for a Hardwood Moulding and Millwork Company and I have to say that my Sales Manager has taken this approach with our Sales Team. He says that “in times like this people don’t nessicarily need a Freind, They need a partner or advisor that will notice the things that will help them make it through these tuff times.” He has urged us to look longer and harder at what our customers needs are, and not to expect our phones to ring. Instead to use the information that we have gathered to solve our customers problems and always have something to offer them when we call them. This has worked for me and I can honestly say that my sales have not suffered becuase of it. Sure I have customers that seem doom and gloom about the whole economy and the drop on there sales. And at times they seem to be reaching for a freind, but I remain positive and focused.I like to think that it has rubbed off on them as well. In my opinion, nobody wants to talk about how hard times are anymore. Now it is about what we can do to make them easier that customers look for.
Great Article!
September 30th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
The printing industry salesman had better make some very BIG changes very soon or learn how to say “do you want fries with that”. The industry is changing at a much more rapid speed then progression. The advancement in our industry is leaving many people scratching their heads and other without a position altogether.
It’s sad but true. With the development of the internet and so called Wed 2.0 many of the functions that a sales rep once handled are now done va the internet.
E-mail me that proof, put the files on the FTP site, ordering printing on a digital storefront, and print-on-demand were all once laughed at by the print sales rep but today it’s the way of life.
Tomorrow, the sale rep will be nothing like the salesman of today, the next generation – they better know their customers buying habits, the products their customer’s sale better than their customers, how they can assist with taking their customers product to market, the return on the investment when doing a campaign, how to conduct a needs analysis and know what it means… all of this will be the knowledge that the print sales rep of the future better have in their hip pocket.
But they will no longer be print sales reps, they will be communication specialist.
September 30th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
As long as I am still in the business of building relationships with people (Prospects) and then selling to those people (making them Customers), I don’t see how selling changes. Getting around technology obstacles such as voice mail (and what ever will follow that) are where the future challenges will come from.
October 1st, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Keith,
I agree with your comments and in the current economic state our team contiuously embraces technology. As sales professionals we have to be on top of our game and be the fittest and most ambitious if we are to have continued success.
Our mantra is, “plant seeds every single day.”
Kerri Modla
Transatlantic Translations