The robots are coming. And they're here to take your sales job. At least, that's what we're afraid of. It might be true that technology can be integrated into many steps of the sales process. But it can't do everything. For now, there are a number of skills that computers can't learn. One of those is our human ability to create empathetic connections with prospects and customers. This is a key ability for the modern seller. By developing your empathy skills, you'll find your sales conversations much more effective. And more importantly, you'll create a skill set that is in demand and hard to replace with technology. What is … [Read more...]
Humans are Underrated: Geoff Colvin
Because of a shortage of shelf space at home, I usually try out a book from the library first. I only buy it if I can see myself coming back to it for reference. Here's the deal: I got one chapter into Humans are Underrated before I put it down and ordered it on Amazon. Geoff is addressing the very human capacities that I'm talking about all of the time with salespeople and professionals. When I talk about the evolution of sales that is the core of Hyper-Connected Selling, I'm constantly pointing out that computers can do lots of routine and rote tasks well, but humans are the best at being human. I've spent the past few years showing … [Read more...]
How to Stop Fearing Sales Objections with this Magic Phrase
One of the reasons people don't like to sell is that we don't like rejection. As young children we develop a deep-seated fear of being abandoned by those that we love, and it follows us into adulthood. So there's this subconscious connection that's created between this fear and a prospect saying no. But we also avoid asking for business because we don't know what to say if the other person doesn't say yes or no. That's why most of us will only "ask for the order" when we already know the answer. It could be a formal sales situation where you are asking a prospect for a business deal. But it could also be an internal meeting where … [Read more...]