What has technology done to Sales?
Consider for a moment how the typical sales approach has changed over the last 20 years. Cold calling and door-knocking—which, for all their difficulty, were far more human, far more civil—have been replaced by faceless web pages that collect personal information and shoot it over to Sales, where it is followed up on via faceless email. If the salesperson gets lucky, that email leads to a faceless phone call. Yes, technology has enabled a remarkably un-human sales process—and this is causing problems, according to Mark Godley, CRO at HG Data.
In his recent post, “Are Bad Sales Reps Turning Buyers into A**holes?,” Godley points out how the faceless sales process is making Sales sloppy:
“From a personal perspective, I find it more difficult as a buyer of technology to be tolerant of bad sales reps. Not preparing for calls, not knowing their products, poor listening, inconsistent follow up and similar deficiencies tries my patience and has built up in me a negative bias I take into every call when I’m a buyer.”
While Godley does not necessarily push for Sales to go back to the old days of knocking doors, he does advocate for Sales to return to its roots in terms of polish and preparation. And while he seems to see technology as an enabler, perhaps technology can also enable a return to the craft and polish of the past.
Certainly, salespeople should work on making their relationships with customers personal, but technology platforms can also be instrumental in crafting a flawless demo, for instance, and then delivering that demo in the same flawless way over and over again.
Consensus applies this approach to the video demos it crafts for its customers. By the time these leads—who have experienced your content in the Consensus platform—reach Sales’ hands, they are often ready to sign a contract. This will never replace human connection, mind you. Sales teams should take the time to step out of their technology-aided environments to consider putting on a more human face. But technology—if it’s used to enhance relationships, instead of as a wall to hide behind—can aid in lending credibility to modern Sales.
To see how Consensus returns old-fashioned polish to sales demos, click on the orange ‘Watch Demo’ below.
