Conversations are the crucial catalyst and why you should give that cold caller a chance (Why salespeople are so vital)

Shared from LinkedIn

I have been in sales in one way or another for over 30 years and the vast majority of that time has been in IT. I cut my cloth as a very young and naive Lloyds of London Broker, learning the art of communication and negotiation.

As you would imagine, I have seen so much change over the years and as a consequence of that change, I have had to adapt. I have always stuck by the mantra that we never stop learning or improving. It has served me well.
For those that are connected to me in some way, you will have seen that I started a new role at the start of 2020. It is a role that enthused me (and continues to do so), allowing me to utilise the experience I mentioned earlier. 2020 has delivered a very different challenge for us all but as we know, embracing that challenge and adapting is key.

We know that people buy from people. We buy from people that we like and trust. The main way that we can create that trust is by establishing and maintaining a relationship. Maybe one area where I am old fashioned is that I believe that true relationship building is achieved by meeting people, shaking their hand, having a cup of coffee and talking. Such a basic thing that we have taken for granted but perhaps, have a renewed view of its importance given the restrictions that now form part of our private and professional lives.

“Salespeople are a vital line of communication between innovators and consumers. We are not trying to find anyone to sell to.”

We genuinely attempt to identify people and companies that we can assist, resolve issues and enable access to innovation that will support growth and profitability. The challenge that we have more than ever, is how to find the people to talk to and of course doing so whilst maintaining social distancing.

So, what is my point…

It has been interesting to gauge the general mood of those companies I approach to introduce myself, the business I represent and the services I offer. Maybe the factors that have come to bear in 2020 have made us all realise that we are so dependent on each other. There is more of an acceptance that conversations are the crucial catalyst for securing our long-term futures.

Perhaps there is a reinforcement that sales (in all its guises) is a highly valuable profession and that we all need knowledgeable guidance when we need to buy something and at times, need to be told what we actually need. However, now more than ever, those in the sales profession have to rely on making introductions via email, social media and telephone calls. I know that I receive such approaches and where I would have defaulted to trying to ignore such lines of communication, I now listen and consider them. It has been interesting and, in some cases, extremely worthwhile.

My personal conclusion is to allow salespeople the opportunity to give me their elevator pitch. I might just discover something that will benefit me and the company that I work for.