The internet, amongst other factors, has armed buyers with more knowledge than ever before and left Sales scrambling to make sense of the new rules of engagement. In turn, this has led to a plethora of content to (apparently) support Sales in this new, unfamiliar territory.
However, some are more helpful than others, and Sales is not a one size fits all. What works for one company may not be appropriate for its neighbour. A lot of what does work is dependent on factors such as industry sector and geographical location.
Being able to separate the fact from the fiction could save you a lot of time, money and resources. In the post below by Tony J. Hughes details twenty of the most common sales myths that have been bandied around in recent years.
There are some real gems on the list, but I've selected a couple below:
- Managers can sell. Sellers can manage. Actually, the skill sets are typically mutually exclusive. Eagle reps seldom ever become effective sales leaders. It is understandable how so may businesses fall into this trap. You find yourself an incredible salesperson, you want to clone him, you want him to turn all your other salespeople into him.
- The phone is dead. It's actually more critical than ever to use the phone at every stage of the sales funnel. Call reluctance is a pandemic. Being the salespeople who still pick up the phone could be the new differentiator. Your prospects may receive hundreds of emails a day; it is all too easy for yours to get missed. But - how many voicemails do they still receive?
Have a look down the rest of the list, do you agree with Tony J. Hughes?
In sales, it’s important to separate fact from fiction. You might discover the latest trend everyone’s touting isn’t so effective after all. On the flip side, trying out a new technique might lead to amazing results. The better you become at learning what’s hype and what’s real, the more successful you’ll ultimately be.
