You’ve gotten that call–the one where you answer the phone to five seconds of dead air with the telemarketer saying, “Hello, hello?” If you are a patient person you might then hear them saying something like, “May I speak to the head of house hold or person that makes the decision regarding your Quest phone bill?” Click.
That is the old world of sales and it is dead. The new world of sales exists in a world of mass customization, immediacy,and hedonism. It emphasizes experiences, engages the senses, and neglects personal relationships (to a point). Business deals are now closed over the phone, not on the golf course. You might want to sell your private lifetime country club membership while you can.
Sales is social, but only social in the sense that there is a common business purpose or value proposition. Don’t ask me about my family, the weather or an replaceable noun that you don’t really care about anyway.
So why do sales people still sell with outdated strategies and technologies? They either don’t know better, know but don’t want to change, or are lazy (which is really a symptom of item 2).
On the flip side companies that adapt fast to the changing landscape of sales outperform their competition. They are able to successfully increase and solidifying market share. For example, insurance provider Aetna doesn’t uses outdated predictive dialers like their competitors. They utilize a PowerDialer that has zero lag, and optimizes contact rate by displaying local area codes to their prospects. Aetna provides an experience consistent with what modern consumers demand: customization, immediacy, and a pleasurable experience. Now that is sales 2.0 in action!
Paul Fischer 