How To Make Your Sales Videoing Resilient

🚨 corporate training courses for Resilience don't work

Author Bruce Daisely released a book in 2022 called Fortitude.

Here's one sample piece he's written in promotional summary; Why “quick fix resilience” doesn’t work - Leaders’ obsession with resilience training is driving the wrong solutions.

Which suggests that the answer to the title of this post, is to make sure you do not call any remote sales improvement attempt, 'Video Selling Resilience'.

It was indeed a jolt to read such withering pushback against a man I've long cited. Specifically, his contention that the single biggest determinant - and only one you need 'test' for - of a salesperson's success is their optimism. Via his 1986 study; Explanatory Style as a Predictor of Productivity and Quitting Among Life Insurance Sales Agents. And its championing of 'learned optimism'.

Psychologist Martin Seligman is blamed for an entire industrial complex of 'resilience orthodoxy' and its runaway capture of billions of dollars and millions of minds.

As Daisley suggests;

True resilience lies in a feeling of togetherness, that we’re united with those around us in a shared endeavour. When we see ourselves and our identities reflected in those around us it is emboldening and enhancing for us.
Our desire for quick-fix resilience is hiding the true origin of the strength. In a moment when we’re all reflecting on the unforeseen consequences of working apart from each other, the loss of a sense of togetherness on our resilience might be the biggest impact of all.

He credits psychologist Alex Haslam with this huge "pennydrop" insight;

“Resilience is something that when you look at it in the world, it isn’t a manifestation of individuals as individuals. Resilience is something that only occurs in and to groups.”

What should organisations think about? Here's a trio;

• trying to get a sense that people feel a connection to each other - this is key
• resilience is the strength we draw from each other, a collective strength
• and can begin with realising your shared experiences

I'm reminded of the disparaging classic;

"you can see IT spend everywhere except in the productivity figures".

Is there an equivalent in the 'new' selling of over video?

'you can see video calling everywhere except when/with making progress'

In the history of being told to calm down no-one's ever calmed down. Rather than saying how can you instruct people to be more resilient, take a leaf from those recovering from heart attacks. Where the biggest factor determining extra longevity is how many groups they feel a part of.

Then there's one of the biggest predictors of happiness; how often you bump into people you liked without having to plan it beforehand.

So with specific reference to video calls that sell...

Set aside 'training' people how to press buttons in your zoom of choice/diktat. Mould them around sustaining rapport, building relationships and maintaining shared aims. And sparking those 'unplanned connections' too.

I lament to report that in all the video training I did back in lockdown darkness, pretty much every single project wanted to begin with the button clicking.

As it stands whilst I blog here, I see little use of techniques that allow a video call to transcend what used to happen on a telephone conference call. Even with screenshare.

This feeling of connection is not confined to our own salesteam and adjuncts. It will very much apply among prospects too. As general in Sales, fostering togetherness wins.

This is not about creating a congregation like big Monday morning or Friday afternoon meetings. I've been on countless 'all hands', team update half-hours on those. Seldom does true engagement flow.

Rather, letting people find those little pockets of belonging in our or prospect organisations can help our Sales flourish. We apparently need very little in common to feel connected. The common goal of (helping) fixing whatever problem is at hand can more than suffice.

That's how you make your sales videoing 'resilient'. Not by hardening individuals on the technicalities, but by strengthening the bonds between all concerned.

So instead of thinking we must be resilient, how we can make connections happen in our surrounds and for our prospects, especially using video meeting?