Mark Savinson, CEO of Strategy to Revenue claims that sales is full of noise. He writes that there is a need to cut through it by “calling out the nonsense.” Find out what that entails, and why there is a need for more than just technology in sales. After all, the mission is to empower organisations to unleash the full potential of their sales teams.

You have probably read many opinions and tips on how to sell better. The sales industry is full of ‘noise’, with many experts sharing methods that claim to be the best way to sell. But how do you separate the ‘valuable’ from the ‘noise’?

In this article, I will challenge some of the common assumptions and myths that pervade our industry and argue that the fundamentals of selling have not changed, but the interactions, knowledge, and technology have evolved. I believe that the influence of B2B technology selling on the perception of good selling practice is overpowering. It has resulted in a belief that business decisions are driven by fear of missing out and fear of messing up, rather than by rational evaluation of value.

Here are some examples of the noise that confronts us. I will let you decide if they are misleading, irrelevant, or just not new.

THE NOISE OF SALES

The old way of selling is dead, use the new way of selling
I believe this is based on a false dichotomy, buyers do not care about the methodology of the seller, instead they care about whether the seller is helping them make the right purchase. The reality is that the best salespeople have always been adaptable, and that there is no old or new way, there is just selling.

Every salesperson should focus on becoming a trusted advisor
This should be dependent on what the buyer is looking for. Every salesperson should be helpful, and the definition will vary by the needs of the buyer (they may just want to transact), so for some this will be trusted advisor and others a great order taker.

We must improve our sales qualification process
I believe there is a contradiction between the need to help and the need to maximize revenue in a short period of time. The shorter the time frame, the more selective the salesperson must be, resulting in ignoring potential customers who may buy later.

Cold calling is dead, it is all about automated outreach
I, like some of you, may remember the old practice of mailshots, a slightly less sophisticate targeted outreach. We did not rely just mail, we also used the phone to call out. A blended solution is always the best option.

Now is the time for ethical selling
I am prepared to call out that ethical selling should have always been the norm. It is the pressure of hitting targets and the models of rewarding success that creates the space for the unethical sales practices. The change needs to come from the top.

AI is the answer, but what was the question?
I love AI, especially the use of generative AI tools in research and content creation. But AI does not solve the whole problem, especially if it is positioned to make things more efficient. It should not be about doing more but about being effective and doing things better. That is the value of AI, it still needs the human touch.

A training course or book will solve everything
This is a false promise, the solution is not in a book or a training course, but in behavioural change in people. I am sure we have all experienced how quickly we forget things unless we are using them.

FUNDAMENTALS OF SALES

I believe that the fundamentals of selling have not changed, but as I explained earlier, the interactions, knowledge and technology have. The best salespeople are those who can adapt to the needs of the buyer, and help them make the purchase they desire, whether that is by being a trusted advisor or simply an order taker, or something in between. Ultimately, I believe we should all sell with a buyer’s perspective, not with a seller’s perspective.

By Mark Savinson, CEO of Strategy to Revenue.