As technology advances and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly prevalent, relatively straightforward sales (those which we refer to as transactional sales or the simpler consultative sales) will have little need for the expensive human element. Letting the technology manage the sales process from lead through to order provides consistent and improving results at lower cost, benefitting both the selling and buying organizations.
The selling organization further benefits from a flexible ‘sales force’ that can instantaneously scale up and down and doesn’t need the same time-consuming people management, equipment such as a laptop and a car and an expense account. Instead, technology can problem solve with an unlimited number of customers simultaneously and can be programmed not to jump in and start pitching too soon unlike far too many sellers we have witnessed!
Sales roles that will still be important in the New World will operate at the higher end of the spectrum, focusing on building highly collaborative relationships. Sellers will need to act as catalysts for change. Here, rather than replacing the human element, technology will augment sales capability, providing predictions and assistance with forecasting. Therefore, sellers will need to use their judgement as to how to respond to the new intelligence at their disposal.
Expertise Will Win Out
As businesses look to operate in a much leaner way, focusing on their core areas and enabling them to pivot whenever necessary, they will become more reliant on expertise from third-party providers. Sellers will need to demonstrate their expertise and collaborative skills throughout the sales process as if it were an audition for the right to build an equitable relationship with the customer. Arguably, it’s this expertise that becomes the most important part of the value proposition.
The distinction between sales and account management will become blurred as the skills, approach and mind-set all start to merge. New business sales, focusing on client acquisition, will require a longer-term approach to customer relationships; working with them to achieve outcomes which have traditionally been aligned to the skill sets currently associated with Customer Success or Account Management teams.
In the same way, excellent account management will require proactive and regular identification of customer needs. Account managers will need to know how to build new value propositions: the very same skills that have traditionally been associated with new business development.
Collaboration Is Key
The need for businesses to collaborate for mutual benefit and to secure each other’s future will become imperative, and early adopter suppliers will begin to steal a march on their competitors who continue to act in the traditional supplier–buyer way. Mutual survival and growth will be far more dependent on this type of collaboration, where each party develops a much better understanding of what they can offer the other.
Collaboration between suppliers and buyers has never been more important. Suppliers have a strong understanding of how their product or service may benefit a client, but often lack inside knowledge of each client’s specific situation. Buyers have a good understanding of their own business but don’t always have knowledge of everything that is available, or even how products or services could be adapted to suit their needs.
Issues that arise will be dealt with in a more constructive way when companies see their relationships as collaborative as opposed to having a ‘supplier-buyer’ mentality. This more collaborative relationship and sharper focus on outcomes will be reflected in the commercial partnerships between suppliers and customers. As we see a continued shift from ‘ownership in return for cash’ to subscription-based models, we predict a further advancement in collaboration where suppliers will be rewarded for their results rather than simply their product, service or activity.
If the outcome is to deliver operational efficiency or increased revenue, then the supplier’s remuneration will be reflected in the extent to which these are achieved. No longer will it be good enough to simply supply and then leave the customer to it. Sellers will need to work with their customers to drive implementation and successful adoption.
The focus for both parties will be the achievement of outcomes and for many sellers this represents a major horizon shift. The end game will no longer be the point where the contract is signed or the invoice is paid, it will be when the business outcomes are achieved. The next step in the evolution of sales will see the advent of sellers who Focus on Outcomes, Leverage Expertise and Foster Collaboration with their customers.
What Transformational Selling Looks Like
The business stage looks very different now to how it looked 10 years ago. The time is ripe for the rise of Transformational Selling: enter, the Transformational Seller.
So, what is Transformational Selling? Imagine the following scenario:
A man goes into a store wanting to buy a power drill. He walks out with a Kindle.
That’s Transformational Selling!
It’s not about selling the customer something they don’t want or need, it is about examining these needs and finding a solution that delivers the outcome that they are looking for.
“I’m after a drill,” the man announces to the store owner as he enters the store.
“What sort of drill are you looking for?” asks the storeowner.
“One that’s reasonably powerful – I need to be able to drill through solid brick walls.”
“OK,” responds the storeowner. “So why are you looking to drill through solid brick walls?”
“I need to put some shelves up in my living room,” the man explains.
“So, you’re a bit of a DIY enthusiast, are you?”
“Goodness, no, I hate DIY. I’d much rather be reading a good book.”
“Are you an avid reader then?” the storeowner asks.
“I read whenever I can: at home, on the bus to work, during my lunch hour or on my way home.”
“What sort of books do you read?”
“Everything: crime, thrillers, comedy, biographies. I love them all. That’s the reason why I need the shelves. My bookcase is already full and I need somewhere to store more books.”
“And you always carry a book around with you?” the storeowner asks.
“Sometimes more than one – I always want to make sure that if I finish one, I have another ready to start.”
“You don’t ever like to be without a book to read then, wherever you are, and you don’t have enough room to store them. What will happen when these shelves are full?”
“I guess I’ll have to put more up,” the man ponders.
“So, more DIY? It sounds like you don’t really want a drill at all. What you need is a more convenient way of storing books whilst also having a way of accessing any of your books wherever you are.”
“That would be perfect!” the man exclaimed.
“I have just the thing…”
This article is an excerpt from “Transformational Selling: How to Adapt Your Sales Style in the New World” by Bryn Thompson and Steve Lowndes.
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