From the desk of Laura Hannan, our Co-Founder and resident LinkedIn expert:
We used to call someone up, talk about a problem that was familiar or mention something that they thought they were perhaps missing, and would agree to meet where you could (in one meeting) to build rapport, educate, convince and (if all goes well) close a deal. People would have a meeting because something that was said piqued their interest, nowadays, when interest is piqued, you look into that first – because now, we have THE INTERNET!
If someone is made aware of a solution or has a problem before being ‘sold to’ you do your research.
Priorities are then set, and we decide if this is top priority, more research then follows and after that we speak to vendors.
The old research from CEB (corporate Executive Board) said that buyers are 57% of the way through the buying process before speaking to a sales person, implying that the sales role was less necessary, it was more a case of finding a competitive edge and taking the order.
However, what it told me is that the sales person has to be more sophisticated, and be there in that research / discovery phase:
- Frame the thinking
- Add value
So that when they are ready to compare vendors, you’re already the favourite – the company they are most excited about, or the only company that does exactly what they need;
Because you have helped them understand what they need.
Adding to that, such a small (~3%) are in buying mode at the time you make your first touchpoint, so selling when they are not buying is a clash of agendas, and can put buyers off from wanting to speak to you.
Only when you speak to them, can you help them understand better what your solution delivers which means they may re-prioritise. Arguably the sales role has become more important, and they have to realise that there are times to be marketing and adding value, and helping out, and times when you start talking about how your company can help them.
This is why we are so passionate about “creating conversations that convert” – we are marketing with your personal profile and building the relationship and breaking down trust barriers to have the opportunity to have that conversation about how your service will help them.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the above, feel free to connect with me over on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.
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Learn More:
For further information, check out this helpful webinar on 10 TIPS AND TRICKS TO GET MORE VIEWS ON YOUR LINKEDIN POSTS practical by clicking here
If you have any questions or would like to find out how we can support you, please reach out to a member of the Pitch 121 team. We would be super happy to hear from you .
Web: www.pitch121.com
Email: [email protected]
I would like to link to Laura’s sales page, when it is ready 🙂
