In 1979 British synth-pop band Buggles released their smash hit Video Killed The Radio Star, which reflected on the way the that technological advantages in television had stopped the success of the radio in its tracks.
Fast forward 32 years and are we now seeing the emergence of a new technological revolution? Has the internet and social media killed off the traditional ways of selling? Cold calling, face-to-face networking and door-to-door sales seem to be quickly becoming a thing of the past in favour of their online counterparts. So, how has this come about? Well, to understand this fully let’s look at the evolution of selling.
The evolution of selling
The way that sales professionals sell has gone through massive changes over the last 30 years. First there was the 'Show Up and Throw Up Era', which was a one way monologue where the sales person would just try to push the benefits of their product or service onto the client. Someone 'won' and someone 'lost'; you won the business or you lost because you couldn't overcome an objection from the buyer.
Selling then started to move into the 'Consultative Selling Revolution', where the sales person and the client would have a two-way discussion, in which the sales person would pull out the issues and build upon the pain the client was having which their product or service would provide a solution for.
Then the internet was born and the start of the 'Research Age' came about. Buyers began googling the products or services they were interested in and then contacting their chosen company to start the sales process. This was the start of the buyer beginning to take control over the sales process.
Today buyers still 'Google it' before they choose to enter into a sales process, and sales professionals still work hard to pull out the clients wants and needs but buyers are now engaging in a fascinatingly high level of online interaction, discussion and decision making before they have even heard the sales pitch! The future of modern day selling is now a combination of internet research and social media interaction.
The modern day buyer
So the big question then: who is the modern day buyer and how do they now decide to make a purchase?
Today's buyers are a lot more sales savvy; they conduct research online about your products and services, your company, your competitors and they can even find out information about you on a personal level as well.
What online tools are they using to find out about you, your company or your products and services? What discussions are they having with other potential customers, current customers or even your competitors about your products or services?
Your buyers are an upgraded version of their predecessors; they have changed the way that they buy but have you changed the way that you sell?
Cold calling R.I.P?
Here's some interesting research for you:
- 73% of decision makers won’t accept an inbound cold call (Market Transformations)
- 90% of consumers trust peer recommendations (Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey)
- Two out of three decision makers place more trust in their own research than in sales people (Market Transformations)
- 90% of buying decisions are based on internet research (Gartner research)
Cold calling as we know it is dying. Sales professionals hate making cold calls and people hate receiving them. People like to buy; they don't like to be sold to. Cold calling is interruption selling, you are pushing your product or service onto the client when they dontt want to buy.
What you should be doing is 'social calling' – you need to interact with the client before you ring them up and sell to them. You need to make a connection with them first. You need to be on out there on the internet, where they can find you, talking to them and interacting with them in their chosen online environment...and then you should call.
The social media revolution
Cold calling was once the heavyweight champion in the world of selling, but there are new players in town now. The 'Social Media Revolution' is well and truly upon us and here are some interesting facts you that should know:
- More than 30bn pieces of content are shared each month on Facebook (Facebook Press Office)
- Twitter gets more than 300,000 new users every day (The Chirp Conference)
- A new member joins LinkedIn every second (LinkedIn Press Centre)
In terms of business development, the whole objective is to make a connection with your clients via social media first, and then follow this connection up with a call or a face to face meeting. You need to get involved; you need to be proactive, not reactive. Don't think that clients will come to you just because you have a LinkedIn profile. You've got to get out there and be known.
You need to contribute to groups, forums and discussions. You need to position yourself online as a trusted advisor and help your clients out; join in their discussions and show them that you are the person they need to come to for their wants and needs, all with the ultimate aim to getting that personal contact with them.
So has the internet really killed the telesales star?
Well, the answer is both yes and no.
Yes, in terms of pure cold calling. Your buyers are now in control; they know what they want, they know when they want it and they do their research. They don't want to be interrupted with your call.
At the same time it is important to remember the golden rule: business development is not completed solely in the virtual world either. It is still very much a personal interaction and social media can help you to network online, build up a reputation as an industry expert, build up your personal brand and to get in contact with the people who are already interested in your products and services. You still need to set up the meetings and you still need a face to face but it's after you have connected with them online first that you make the telephone call.
Sean McPheat is managing director of MTD Sales Training. His latest book 'eselling® - How to use the internet & social media for prospecting, personal branding, networking and for engaging the c-suite decision maker' is a number one Amazon bestseller. www.e-selling.com
Article Courtesy of Sean McPheat
http://SocialBusinessToday.net - The Best in Social Business
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