Years ago, after I suggested sending introductory letters to prospects in favour of a phone call, my boss said, “People buy from people!” Yet today I mostly buy from systems, not people. The web allows me to research and pick my preferred product for the right price from a brand I trust. It’s convenient and I feel in control.
So where does this leave my boss’s wise words and the future of sales people?
Ecom is very well suited for transactional sales where no or very limited advice is needed.
In the end people buy products that help them to achieve their personal or business vision. A sales person assisting them with this process will always be important especially when the investment is significant, hurdles are high or time is at a premium.
A sales professional understands this and will work with his/her prospective customer to explore that vision and how their particular product(s) might help in achieving it.
This type of “vision selling” goes way beyond traditional needs analysis, product features and benefits.
The future of face-to face sales lies in this vision selling. Done well, it makes my old boss’ statement as valid as ever.
