No, this is not a sequel or some modernized, hip version of the 1949 classic play by the late, great Arthur Miller. A play on words perhaps, but I assure you this will be the only “play” part in what you are about to read and learn. This is in fact, very serious.
Death of a salesman, my version, my play on words (ok, intended to perhaps be a tad theatrical solely to draw your attention), is to wake you all up from your new world economic stupor (or shock) and share with you that there is a sales and marketing revolution going on. Yes that’s right… a Revolution!
Okay, alright, I admit it. The revolution I speak of is only just my personal revolution… at least it’s personal right now. I think however, that will change, reach a tipping point, and then the revolution will be born. At this point in time, all there is, is a revelation to share with you, not a revolution. The revelation: There’s a sales and marketing malaise. A numbness. A staleness. An absence of adaptation and innovation. How do I know this to be true? Answer: because Synergy provides sales and marketing services to its clients predominantly on a results basis. If we don’t produce results, we lose. And we do not like to lose. We are therefore forced to listen, learn and be as innovative and creative as possible to generate results through both sales AND marketing . And, what we have learned and discovered is a paradigm shift; a real shift in the customer conversion process. A shift of control, influence and power away from the sales person and the sales process, and towards marketing and particularly, messaging. However, before I tell you why this shift has occurred, let me share with you the malaise I speak of from the perspective of the sales professional and then that of the marketing professional.
The Sales Person:
“My name is Joe Clohz. I have been a top producer throughout my sales career. However, today it has never been more difficult. I have so many horses at the trough, but for whatever reason, I just can’t seem to make them drink like I used to. I have to work twice as hard to close half the sales I am normally capable of.”
Sound familiar? Of course it does. But little does Mr. Clohz know that the predominating reason why his sales conversion numbers have diminished precipitously is not as a result of anything he has done wrong, or even something he can control or improve upon. It is not even something that the most gifted sales trainer, coach, strategist, or motivator can solve.
Why is that you ask? Because the problem isn’t Joe or really anything he is doing or not doing, the problem is his company’s marketing and in particular, their messaging.
The Marketing Professional:
“My name is Wendy Websight. I am the owner of a marketing firm/agency that designs websites, writes copy, implements and manages other strategic branding, pr, advertising, marketing and social media campaigns, and creates newsletters, press releases, email blasts, free whitepapers, etc. I used to have a thriving firm but now I am fighting for crumbs. Marketing budgets are slashed and so too are my profits.
Again, sound familiar? Well, little does Ms. Websight know that the predominating reason why her reduction in clientele (and their corresponding budgets) exists is really as a result of something she is NOT doing, something she can control and absolutely improve upon. Ironically, this is the complete opposite of Mr. Clohz and his situation.
The Blind Spot
Here is a truth we all need to not only understand, but also understand its implications… the major reason why the power and influence a formerly successful sales person has diminished precipitously of late and the power and influence of the marketing professional has profoundly increased of late is because of… The Internet!
Oooh Aaah. Yes, the internet! Here’s what I mean, but first a little background… Wasn’t there such a thing as the Baby Boomer Generation – a 15 year or so time period (post World War II) of peace and prosperity that resulted in a national population explosion? Wasn’t there also Generation X? Well, do you know what I call today’s generation? Generation ME.
In the age of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and a myriad of other social media platforms, everyone is communicating their world – a great article they read, video they saw, how they are feeling, thinking that day, what they want, wish for, and need to have. Just read a post, any post, even this one, and you will see that everybody has something to say. The thoughts and implications of this, from the readers perspective is:
- I am on information overload – reading all my friends, family and interest related posts, I am connected all the time and therefore have an increasing personal disconnection with many in my life,
- I give you much less of my time; profoundly less,
- I can quickly, effortlessly change my direction and what I want to read and experience next,
- I seek instant gratification,
- I can keep you at a distance and even completely ignore you without confrontation if I so choose,
- I can focus on me and what I like and am trying to accomplish the most,
- I don’t have to call you, or even text you, I can comment on your post and keep things at a comfortable distance,
- I love distance; that is until I am ready to invest my time and call you, call you back, or make our communication more personal.
Well, when we incorporate some of Generation Me’s limited time, focus, attention, and decreased personalization, into today’s sales process and cycle, it goes something like this: I can check you out, your product or service, your company, their reviews, compare and contrast, consider other prices, and I can make a decision when I damn well please. So, what this means is that Everything Online Matters and the messaging in that online presence is almost everything. As the brilliant Seth Godin espouses (one of the marketing geniuses of our generation) “The goal of a marketer ought to be to make it so easy to be a salesperson, you’re merely an inviter. The new marketing is largely about this–creating a scenario where you don’t even need salespeople. (Until you do.)”
In Death Of A Salesman – Act II, I will:
- Provide specific examples and evidence of this paradigm shift,
- Produce proof that most marketing professionals and service providers are not only unaware of this shift, the few that are, are ill-equipped to exercise this new found power and influence,
- Reveal the new SECRET… how to create customer conversion through “Why” based, “All About Them” messaging.
Till then, just think about this… While words are more accessible than ever before in human history, meaningful words that inspire people to feel, think and ACT have never been more vacant from the human EXPERIENCE than ever before in human history.
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Synergy Sales & Marketing is a Phoenix Arizona, results based sales and marketing firm who’s corporate culture is to empower, inspire and hand each and every team member their own personal paint brush, palette and canvass. Synergy’s collective experience includes the development and management of some of the largest, most successful sales forces in the U.S. for some of the largest, most successful companies in the U.S. – e.g., American Express, GE, etc. However, even if you are a start-up with a B2B product or service, and have considered outsourcing your sales and marketing, we urge you… stop thinking and start Doing! Contact us today for a free, no obligation scalability analysis. 888-748-4548 synergize@synergysm.com.
17 Responses to “Death Of A Salesman (v.2.013) – Act I”
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Thought provoking…so…what every sales person really needs is a great team behind them to develop and implement a strong online presence, great messaging and collateral…and let the sales people meet and invite the people who will assess the company, service/product to buy it…that’s the perfect model.
Very nicely done, about to read act II!
Thanks Andrew. Very insightful. I almost agree with you:-). The paradigm shift you mention is in true in some respects. Objectively, the internet has created the ability for the purchaser to research more of the purchase information and options leading to a purchase decision than what was possible in the past. Also, the number of purchase options and choices has increased for the purchaser as the internet is so crowded with competition so it is a more difficult environment. Add to that – that there is simply less money and a general lack of confidence and you have a situation that no salesman or marketer can really overcome. There are fewer and fewer dollars being chased by more options and more competitors. On top of that these options and competitors are much more visible and now they are global. The internet is an empowering conduit and better medium to deliver a message. It combines the best features of TV, Radio, and Print and presents a better value proposition. Again like any tool if you do not use it right it doesn’t work. It still comes down words, pictures, videos, graphics and numbers properly designed and constructed to appeal and deliver a message to a well researched out and defined and delineated target market within a market segment. It is a paradigm shift it will create decentralization…less emphasis on the firm with the ability to control the medium and more emphasis on the message to the individual…the roles in marketing will not change but the emphasis of what to focus on within your role will have to shift. The old structures will have to adapt or perish…as usual change is perpetual.
Please show me examples so I can get a better understanding of what you are talking about.
please show me examples of your work so I cab get a better understanding of the services you are referring to.
Thanks,
Gerry
Interesting; thanks for sharing.
Ron
Love your feedback Jay! I will respond shortly. Gerry, here are links that I think may help you:
http://synergysm.com/need-more-sales/
http://synergysm.com/a-good-days-pay-for-a-hard-days-work/
http://synergysm.com/putting-the-sales-in-marketing/
http://synergysm.com/partnering-it-forward/
Okay Jay, I have digested your comments and must tell you that your point or points are not easily understood. That said, and from what I can discern, you are actually validating my hypothesis. The part where I am thinking you disagree is perhaps this… because there is so much choice on the internet, you actually need a salesperson to get noticed and make the sale. And if this is your point of contention, I believe we are on the same page.
Whilst I am intentionally being dramatic here in entitling this article “Death Of A Salesman”, I by no means wish to convey that the sales profession will die. In fact, there will always be the need for sales people. My only point is that (in the most general sense) marketing needs to be “connected” to sales and sales needs to be “connected” to marketing for meaningful sales conversion/results today. And, not only do they need to be connected, the messaging on the marketing side has completely shifted.
Anyway, I am sure you know there are still many consultative based products and services (relationship based/long sales cycle) that absolutely require a seasoned/talented sales person. These roles and situations will not change… their supportive marketing however (in particular, their messaging) MUST change for the talented salesperson to continue to thrive.
Drew,
A great and valued perspective indeed from a SEEKER. Maybe something like this in other words. Conscious mind is being trained to filter with more and more stimuli it can’t handle. But repetition in tandem with what “trusted” others recommend IS being processed by the Unconscious mind. There in lies the future conscious decision. Not bad for an accountant type, Haha!
Very nice Mark. Please be sure to read all three acts and as well click on the embedded hot links (differently colored word and phrases), especially the ones leading to relevant and inspirational TED talks.
Death of a salesman and a lot of other things. Bye bye Barnes and Noble. See ya later Zune. And primary care physician, your days are not only numbered, but your Epitaph is being chiseled as I type. The salesman, much like the dinosaur, is quickly becoming fossilized. Not all salesman will die, as in the case of the roach/alligator, the strong will survive. However in this case the word “strong” should be replaced with “adaptable” because change is inevitable and the inability to adjust accordingly leads to the dirt nap. What I have seen and lived during my career in sales is “exceptional” is the new “expected.” It doesn’t fly to just show up to work and push TPS reports around, these days the consumer wants a damn Circ Du Soleil performance while making $10/hour and there is nothing us sales guys can do expect quit or get better. Like Will Smith says…”Two things will happen on a treadmill, I’m either going to beat you or die trying.”
I will just allow your words stand on their own. Beautifully uttered Mr. Bilbro!
I have been acutely aware of this new trend since 2004. I am a Realtor who markets heavily on the Internet. I teach my buyer’s agents that the leads they receive don’t give a damn about them, or how long they’ve been in business, or how many awards they’ve won. They only care about “what’s in it for me”. They expect lightning fast, thorough, and accurate answers to their questions. They want INFORMATION. It is hard for agents to get their arms around this because for so many years, they’ve been tooting their own horns. Thanks for putting this out there.
Thank you Nicki for chiming in. Your experience in the field is yet even more validation for what we both already know… that former sales superstars are failing now more than ever before.
Hi Gerry. I just noticed this from you now. So sorry for the lateness of this response.
I can show you examples of our marketing and messaging work but I would think you would rather learn about the results we are generating for our clients. Anyway, here is a site we developed for our fulfillment client http://www.pmafulfillment.com – we did everything, the video animation, scripting, slogan, etc.
How true your words are…
Thank you Jeff. I am glad this message resonated with you.