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If It Ain’t Broke…

Jamie Shanks
Jamie Shanks

DenialWe all know how to finish off that statement, don’t we? How many times have we heard that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. When it comes to the world of sales let’s finally have the chutzpah to discuss the big pink elephant in the room: not only is the world of sales broke, it’s been broke for a while now.

You can disagree with me all you want, but the fact of the matter remains that the way we sell today needs fundamental fixing. There is no point of beating around the bush but the following groups of people love to come up with excuses.

1. Sales Leaders
If you’re in a sales management position, you owe it to yourself to be honest. Don’t bury your head in the sand thinking cold calling will work miracles.

Your Reason: Most people are making quota on my team and the overall number is being met, so why worry? It’s all good.

The Reality: Sure, the majority may be hitting plan and prospecting using cold calling, but you’re missing the larger opportunity. Sales is not just about hitting the number; it’s about not leaving opportunities on the table. Social Selling is that opportunity you’re overlooking because you’re too complacent and comfortable. Sales teams that use Social Selling outperform non-social teams by up to 20%. That’s a whole lot of opportunity any way you slice it.

2. The “I’m amazing at cold calling” Sales Professional

You’re used to cold calling and some of you are really good at it. Just because you’re really good at it, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be looking at other avenues of revenue generation.

Your Reason: I’ve been cold calling for a long time now, it just works for me. I’m 150% of plan and make President’s Club every year.

The Reality: You’re a rare exception these days my friend. Sales Professionals pride themselves on being innovative and cutting edge. Cold calling is not cutting edge. Harassing someone on the phone till they submit to an appointment is not cutting edge. Plus, if you don’t innovate now you’ll miss one of the biggest opportunities that’s available to sales professionals: the ability to help your buyers and gain active hearts and minds that cheer for you. That’s what Social Selling achieves.

3. The “I’m so sick of cold calling” Sales Professional

Join the club, amigos. Aside from the group above, you’re in the majority. How do I know? Because we talk to sales people all the time that moan and groan about cold calling. You know there’s got to be some better way.

Your Reason: I’m cold calling like crazy and not getting anywhere with it. My manager can’t help me and has no solution for me. Oh well, I’ll just listen to them and stick to cold calling. They can’t be wrong.

The Reality: You know that sales shouldn’t be this daunting and cumbersome. You trusting management will be your demise. In this case, you need to trust your gut instinct. If something doesn’t feel right, it usually isn’t. It’s time you learned about a different medium of selling that doesn’t require any hard selling at all.

Although there are probably a few other groups in an organization that enjoy status quo and don’t want to test new things, the three described here are the most challenging ones.

The Bottom Line

Don’t adopt the “if it ain’t broke” attitude. It’s just your lazy and comfortable side talking to you. In order to grow, you need to push yourself further every single day. Social Selling is one of the newest mediums of selling that allows you to put your buyer at the center. If you truly want to provide an excellent buying experience, Social Selling will help you do that perfectly. Remember, Social Selling isn’t difficult; it’s just different.

To learn more about Social Selling check out 10 Steps to Becoming a Social Selling Machine. For tips, tricks and more rants, we could always set-up a time to chat using my below schedule …

Amar Sheth

CTA

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