Buyers Aren't Easily Tipped Over These Days

Selling evolved long ago from an act of feature-benefit presenting and closing to one of educating and consulting – nothing new here. What’s changed is the access to information online - ratings, filtered social media, podcasts, product assessment tools have changed the game by creating a flood of information that few have the time to wade through. This means that when beginning a sales cycle, the sales consultant is often welcomed by a buyer who is equally or better informed about the technical or performance standards a product or service is supposed to have.

The new game is one of helping a buyer intelligently piece together the right information for the right step of the sales cycle that will give them ammunition to sell up the chain of command - the company that can educate and illuminate valuable outcomes best wins.

I have to admit that thinking a bit about this stirred up my juices and reminded me of the time I wasted with bad sales guys when I was on the buy side and time wasted on bad sales collaterals when I was on the sell side. Today companies must lead their prospects as a cooperative partner who is keen on being the best informed or prepare to be dismissed as a hack…buyers are a whole lot smarter these days and really expect some class and information from sales people not a pitch.  Have you produced the right materials for the buyer...for your sales people?

Image Credit: Eric Lafforgue