Will the continuous advances in technology replace the profession of selling in the future??
I'm not a lot of money teller or perhaps a mystic, but I do think that we will have dramatic changes in the roles salespeople play within their organizations and the economy in general. Throughout the next several years and stretching in to the next many years there will be dramatic and all encompassing alternation in every industry, field and profession. No one will go untouched through the swath which will cut across every age group and discipline.
Allow me to state that in this article I'm not referring to 'retail salespeople'. People who tend the sales counters in stores and business of each and every type and description. Second, I'm not referring to tele-marketing people and third I am not talking about customer support those who have some sales responsibilities. I am focusing my discussion on the thousands of salespeople who daily catch airplanes, cabs, trains in addition to log thousands of miles per year selling their organizations services or products next door, the country or even the globe.
We're rapidly becoming a society that no more talks to one another. We communicate by fax machine, computer, E Mail, answering machines and voice mail. We are losing the human touch.
In my opinion there are a variety of reasons why the sales profession is alive and well and will continue being for years to come. This doesn't mean however, that people will not experience dramatic alterations in the way salespeople sell and service their customers and clients.
I would like to offer ten explanations why I feel salespeople will invariably play a vital role in a healthy, growing economy whether national or international in scope. Let's first however, define the roles or required salespeople today. Professional salespeople are faced with any of the following, in their daily routines:
One. They present new ideas, concepts, products, services to provide clients/customers and to potential clients/customers alike. Two. They measure the marketplace i.e.. client satisfaction levels and perceptions, general market attitudes, competitor weaknesses and strengths and consumer interest trends.
Three. They witness and report on the emergence of grass root market shifts and interests.
Four. They soothe ruffled egos of disappointed, frustrated and angry customers.
Five. They offer bottom-up feedback to the control over their organization on any number of opportunities, problems and issues.
Six. Those are the front type of attack for just about any number of corporate marketing strategies and programs.
Seven. They work the trade event booths (a grueling task, for those who have never tried it) in a large number of industry events each year.
Eight. They are on the look out for brand new product/service opportunities that the 'corporate' person would never see.
Nine. They solve customer problems brought on by poor design, poor production, poor distribution, poor billing practices etc.
Ten. They are ambassadors for management, building positive on-going relationships that can increase business and profits.
I challenge you to find a computer, fax machine, software package, customer support rep, or marketing person who can do all this with the:
Courage of a mountain climber,Patience of Job,Sacrifice of Mother Teresa,Energy of the two year old,Creativity of Frank Lloyd WrightDedication of a mother,Wisdom of Confucius,Enthusiasm of a cheerleaderCommitment of the Olympic athlete,and the persistence of the toddler
The role from the sales professional continues to endure transformation but the fundamental mission will remain in tact.
In the last few years there have been a few examples where businesses decided to complete away with their salespeople entirely. I believe this approach to coping with the buying public is a cop by the management of these organizations. Their premise is the fact that consumers should not do business through salespeople. Wrong!!!
Consumers don't wish to conduct business through lazy, unethical, incompetent or stupid salespeople.
Try buying anything today with no salesperson's involvement and that i will guarantee will waste you time, energy or money prior to being through.
Another group might have us believe that one day we'll buy everything we want from a mail order catalogue, Home Shopping Network or perhaps a computer on line service. Wrong!!!
Some products, yes. Low price consumables, yes. Computers, exercise equipment, jewelry, books etc., yes. But complicated, major products or services, no.
Should you accept my basic premise, why not try and list these products, services or industries that you feel are not good candidates with this kind of 'buyer controlled' selling.
One final thought.
Would the removal of the professional salesperson be great for consumers, the economy, companies and the free market system which has built the best economy within the history of the world in under 3 hundred years?
I do not believe so.
Sales forces may: get smaller and much more effective, cover more territory, sell a wider diversity of products or services as we transfer to the next century and beyond, but they will never become obsolete. If you sell as a living, you will have to accelerate your personal growth in order to reside a balanced successful life as you still move down this challenging career highway.
If you are a sales director, you will need to reevaluate your role, responsibilities and purpose as your position will even undergo dramatic changes in the next several years. If you're the owner or senior executive of the business that uses salespeople to represent your product or service and services, you will need to provide; stronger support systems, increased training, upgraded tools essential for their success and streamlined information, if you would like these phones assist you to compete successfully within the coming years.
You will also have to listen to your salespeople without judgment, prejudice and clouded ego centered perceptions. If you are a consumer, you will have to continue to flex parts of your muscles demanding, integrity, professionalism, flexibility, responsiveness and competence in the salespeople with which team you do business.
