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The Times They Are A-Changin’

Jamie Shanks
Jamie Shanks

Times are Changing

“You better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone; For the times, they are a-changin’”

-Bob Dylan

Quoting Bob Dylan is amazing and yet very somber. His lyrics are prophetic in nearly every situation but in this case, the famous song “The Times They Are A-Changin’” serves as a battle cry for the beat and downtrodden. Sometimes, more than inspiration, we all need a good kick in the pants.

You’d probably be right to think I’m a little adventurous for trying to relate Bob Dylan with social selling, but oh well, here goes nothing.

I think that every generation has a chance to try something new and bold. Some things are just so outdated and yet they’re accepted as the norm. Who’s going to change this? If not us then who? I want to be very careful in how I approach this, but let’s just call it the way it is, the times are definitely a-changin’.

The old ways of selling are stale and losing their effectiveness every day. Buyers are demanding that we change with the times. They’re online doing an incredible amount of research and having conversations with Peers and Influencers about what they need. And where are we during all this? We’re pounding the phones, pounding the pavement and pounding ourselves into the realm of mediocrity.

Sales leaders, sales professionals, executives, society, generally accepted selling principles, etc. are all to blame. That’s the best and worst part about this whole mess. The best part is blame can be shared by everyone. The worst part is that because we can’t pinpoint how this all started, we don’t want to try and get out of it. So the old ways persist because they’re passed down from generation to generation. Nothing much changes. Small changes, in fact, are touted as “revolutionary” when they’re slightly better than previous iterations.

There is a breed of sales professionals who are challenging the norm. They’re pushing the boundaries and challenging common wisdom. They’re devouring the plethora of information that’s online about social selling and how to apply it to their daily schedules. By taking this step, they’re able to enter into a world where buyers are truly calling all the shots. They know that the days of sales pushing buyers around are done. They’ve accepted it and instead of being scared about it, they’re doing something to make sure they’re in a position of power and advantage.

What they know is that Social Selling allows them to be sincere in their approach with buyers. Instead of pushing the sale, they gently assist with any information that the buyer needs. They educate and nurture the buyer at a pace that’s comfortable with them, instead of pushing them towards a hurried sale.

And they know that this new way of selling online – this new Social Selling thing – is having wonders on their ability to close deals and help with their targets.

The Bottom Line

See, what they know is that The Times They are a-changin’… and that those who change with the times will not only survive, but prosper. If you’d like to know how you can change with the times and try social selling, feel free to schedule a time with me below. If you’d like to learn about how you can build a Social Selling machine, be sure to download our friendly guide for helpful tips/tricks and best practices.

To learn more about Social Selling check out the below guides 10 Steps to Becoming a Social Selling Machine and 9 Steps to a Winning LinkedIn Profile for Sales Professionals.

For tips, tricks and more rants, let’s set up a time with my below schedule …

Amar Sheth

CTA 9 Step Thumb10 Step Book

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The Ultimate Guide to Social Selling