Category: Articles

30 Reasons Why 1 Million Sales Jobs Will be Obsolete

On March 8, this article on the Hubspot Sales Blog reported that one million B2B sales jobs will be lost. Are you, or any of your salespeople at risk? The article talked about four archetypes of salespeople and the two types at greatest risk. While I agree that there won’t be a place for order takers, and those who sell consultatively will always have work, I see the shakeup a bit differently. Here’s why.

If Andre Agassi Was in Sales, Would He Be Ranked #1?

Andre Agassi’s autobiography, Open, was a great book! I kept wondering what it would have been like if Agassi was in sales instead of tennis. Would he have been the best salesperson in the world? Would he have won all the biggest deals? Would he have earned as much money? So I thought about the areas that would have supported a quest for #1 salesperson, as well as those that would have thwarted the effort.

Do Chain Reactions Like This Really Occur When Selling?

Mary always succeeded in finding new opportunities, but her weaknesses, especially her Need for Approval, Discomfort Talking About Money, and Tendency to Become Emotionally Involved, would usually interfere with her ability to gain traction and close the sale. During the past year, she has improved enough so that she is not only finding new business, but closing it too. But she isn’t out of the woods yet.

Specific Words Are So Crucial to a Sales Conversation

I just returned from a speaking engagement in Athens and had to stop at passport control several times during this trip. They always ask, “What kind of business?” and over the years I’ve used them all: consulting, speaking, training, business adviser, author, coaching, etc. I’ve learned that if I wantto be interrogated, “speaker” would be the answer of choice. If I simply want to answer a few questions, “consultant” will do the trick. But to elicit the desired yawn from the officers, I only need to say “attend a conference.” Words make a huge difference and if you like scripts, you’ll be disappointed. But a well-chosen word or phrase at just the right time can be the difference between a resistant prospect and an intrigued one. Do you pay enough attention to the things you do and say as well as how you say them just before a prospect becomes resistant or more engaged? Well, you should!