The Salesperson of the Future
I recently interviewed for a sales position in my home country. After four years of working in client-facing positions, I thought I had a good chance. But in the end, I didn’t get the position.
Noticing the interviewer’s experience with the matter, I wondered how one becomes successful like him.
So I asked if I could interview him back. Here are some of his ‘secrets’:
Don’t Measure ROI in Revenue
ROI for salespeople is different today. The growth of technology messed it up.
Before, you had to find a lead through numerous phone calls and endless meetings. But today, consumers will look you up beforehand and have a somewhat defined opinion about your work.
Trying to close a sale on the same day is no longer a possibility. Because it is so easy to research someone today, a better strategy is to cultivate your brand rather than sell at the first meeting.
Try a non-exclusive dinner, a phone call, or a gym session. Whatever is your ‘power move,’ do not talk about your business.
“Most one-night stands don’t fruition into marriage.”
You should therefore focus on the many relationships you will be able to establish around your area. One sale has a much smaller ROI than a conversation.
That’s a fact. Absorb it, engrave it in your brain, get a tattoo with that in it.
The ROI in playing a long-term business is much more attractive than selling more. If you are a lawyer, 90% of people will come to you because you are the lawyer they know. That is all.
“At one point, I had zero businesses signed, 30 dinners scheduled for the next month, and not a single worry in my mind.”
People come to you because they know who you are. New salespeople fail because they think they will become successful based on one-off sales. And they die down quickly because their list is limited.
You have to rely on more than just the people you sold to.
Rely on Referrals
You can only do so much work. And while developing the leads you have is still important, the bigger opportunities come from the relationships you built along the way.
Ask anyone born before 1950, and they will tell you that their career development was not their work only. Around 30% of your work should go toward your closing; The other 70% goes toward discovering and nurturing.
“90% of my new business is brought from the poker tables around the city. But I’m never at the table. The players do the talking for me.”
A referral is still your most reliable new business source, and thus, best friend.
Instead of waiting for the magic referral to come organically, increase your chances of getting new business by meeting someone new and adding them to your circle of acquaintances.
To always be involved, you still need to host dinners, give away exclusive perks, or somehow get their attention.
To stand out from other salespeople or even competitors in the same industry, you have to be different. There are only 24 hours in a day, and being able to get one out of your circle is already a big ask. So why not make it important?
For my interviewee, the most effective strategy was working out. Early on, he realized that no salesperson asked their acquaintances to work out because they are too afraid to hear a ‘no.’
“I bond with future clients a lot faster over a tennis match than over an office meeting. Working out makes us vulnerable, so I find out what that person likes to do for a workout. Running, spinning, CrossFit, whatever they are into, I am in.”
Be a Connector
Once you have developed a certain circle of connections, people expect you to grow at the same speed as your circle.
The best way to create a relationship is by finding an opportunity for that new person. It can be as simple as finding them a new gym to work out or as complex as bringing them new business.
The possibilities are endless. The more you grow your circle, the better are your chances of growing it even faster.
I put people in uncomfortable situations with people they don’t know yet. Sometimes I will invite two acquaintances for dinner and introduce themselves right there in the spot, knowing there is a connection for them to make.
“My gym had to give me more invites because of the amount of people that I bring to my group workouts. I put two strangers through a morning sweat and give them coffee afterwards. It is hard for them to forget me after that.”
Working as a connector, you are no longer a salesperson. You bring strangers together, use the last 30 seconds of dinner to tell your invitees about a new opportunity you are working on, and patiently wait for the magic to happen.
Create a digital brand
Good networking and nurturing are massive parts of the trait. But you can’t grow without a strong (personal) digital brand in 2020.
With entrepreneurship being the ‘cool’ new thing, people forget that it is hard to create a business. So it would help if you focused on your own brand first. Your brand, paired with the networking, equals years of experience in the trade.
You don’t have to build a brand from scratch if you are already known online. Actually, your brand will build itself once your reputation is set.
“Until then, reach out to thousands of people and let them see your brand. Instagram DMs are the new cold calls.”
Look at Ryan Serhant, for example— once a struggling real estate agent, he became one of the most recognizable salespeople in the US based on an image (a personal brand) that he created over digital platforms. Youtube was his latest and most well-received one. Besides the traditional reach out he likely does, he now has a work portfolio available at the palm of your hands.
Your reputation does the job, and it always will. No matter what you sell. Lawyers, real estate agents, and doctors don’t have to look as ‘salesy’ as they have looked in ages.
“That’s not a matter of age. It’s a matter of attention. Let local lawyers pay for billboards in your neighborhood; You should pay for ads on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.”
Fine, but everyone does this. So, with digital competition increasing, what can you do to put yourself back in the game?
Put Out Value Without a CTA
Try this out.
Being invested in an audience by creating new content almost every day, you shouldn’t only show your product. There is enough advertising in the world.
Instead of making a product display channel, show your personal brand and your development as a professional. Put out the best value content you can, and bring them the free information they are looking for.
Instead of looking like the thousands of real estate agents who give their phone number at the end of an ad, be known as the guy that gives free advice.
Give stuff for free. Give value without asking for something back. Create a few pieces of content that do not have a ‘contact me for more information’ at the end.
You don’t have to tell them you’ll help them if you’re known for it. After I see your free opinion on where to buy real estate or where the market is heading toward, I will remember you as the person I need to talk to if I need help.
You will build a strong fanbase, and your brand will grow stronger.
“For example, LinkedIn users are tired of job updates and work anniversaries. When they see free, valuable content, they automatically stop to read and interact. The platform’s reach is still wildly undervalued, so it’s still a good bet for salespeople.”
In general, there is still a lot of room in our feeds for good content and brand building. So if you’re looking for a place to build your brand, digital has some undervalued sports to head your start.
Finally, when you create an audience, treat them well.
Produce Content at Scale
Via digital, your content is evergreen.
Some people come back to it, others discover it later, and more eyes get to your brand. The output of your keynote recording is 10x more valuable than the keynote itself.
“Once every person connected to the internet has access to your image, make them come back for it.”
Digital content has reach, and your brand grows stronger the longer it is available online.
Before, you were making a call to a client and having dinner with one person over an expensive meal. Now you can reach thousands of people on the other side of the world, with the touch of a button — record.
Think of any activity as a way to create content. Those clients that you invited to the gym? Make a vlog about it. Invite them for a podcast in your office.
“Think content in whatever format and make sure you are also engaging with the audience that is not there yet. You can build on the people that you don’t know yet and start the nurturing cycle all over again.”
Speak at conferences, make vlogs, appear on podcasts. No matter if you are doing the 30% closing part of your day or the other 70%. Always think about growing your digital brand with scale content.
Recognized for his book How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie advised his readers: “Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
Dale Carnegie’s book remains a bestseller to this day because of how relevant it still is. And likewise, a person’s name, personal brand, and reputation are still the most important sounds to someone. Ironically, they are also what can help you succeed.
Do These Now
Bad salespeople wait for opportunities to fall on their lap.
Don’t cancel all your dinners to work on digital. Don’t let your social media go because you have dinners to go to.
Use them both strategically, and start now.
You will continue to have the classic personal touch, but now using your personal brand to your advantage.
“Don’t waste this opportunity by hanging around, waiting for a callback. There are so many more sales you can get to if you go beyond your current reach.”
More than that, give away your trade ‘secrets’ like our colleague is doing. I know I am going back to him when I know someone who needs his product.
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