First off, dear readers, my apologies. I have some well-meaning and long-overdue straight talk on modern sales that I just needed to get off my chest.

“OK, I admit it: It’s a well-meaning rant!

You see, I have been in sales and marketing roles for over 30 years. I have worked in sales leadership positions with SMEs, Not-For Profits, and several multinational corporations. Because of this, I believe, I have earned the right to have an opinion about modern selling.

Here it is, quite simply:

The “Traditional” B2b Sales Model Has Broken Down

“It seems to me that the sales industry is stuck in a rut.
No one is brave enough to “stop the car”, think about what they’re doing, and at least change the tires.

Everyone seems perfectly happy just to tinker around the edges. People are more interested in shortcuts and cheap fixes than they are in applying a proper sales strategy. Not enough people are adjusting to changes in the selling environment with a sales model transformation and modernization strategy.

IMHO, the sales industry has become too used to short-termism and tiny event horizons. Sales leaders only look as far ahead as the end of the month, the quarter, or the fiscal year.

I lament that there are more than a thousand Sales Tech apps with AI and data analytics that are now sold as quick-fix miracle cures. They are all promising to save jobs… even if they don’t deliver results.

The Old Ways Just Don’t Work Anymore

I see many so-called sales leaders stuck in their ways. They are unable to stop and think about how the sales environment has changed and how they will need to respond and adapt.

Even worse, when sales targets are missed, these leaders reflexively respond by doing MORE OF THE SAME! They continue to follow the same outmoded lead gen practices that they KNOW are no longer working. More cold calls. More emails. More LinkedIn invites.

You Now Need To Be Buyer-Focused

“I say: Stop doing the same old things
and expecting a different result. Every month. It’s crazy!

Stop focusing on what YOU are selling and on how YOU want to sell it. Start focusing on your customers and how THEY want to buy from you. Embrace the buyer-focused sales funnel. There is a wholesale shift in customer thinking going on and, in order to succeed, you need to respond to it.

“Don’t be like the guy in this caricature:
A sales leader managing his team with a sales forecast in one hand and a blowtorch in the other.

Be A True Sales Leader

Be a leader to your reps, not just a manager. Give them the vision of what modern selling should be like. Inspire them and lead from the front. Give them the skills and the tools to help them succeed. Coach them to success, don’t torture them in your weekly cadence calls. After all, fear is a very poor motivator.

“The pandemic has given true leaders a unique excuse and a real opportunity
to re-think and to renew their sales operations.

Come on, sales and business leaders! You can do it.

“What do you want to be? A Manager or a Leader?
The choice is yours.

Now is your chance to lead from the front and to make a real difference. Lift yourself and your team out of the 2000s and bring them into the 2020s. It’s your time to shine!

“You can do it.

Here is how…

All the best, here’s to your 2022 sales success!

Peter Strohkorb

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