Post 2000; How Has Sales Changed Over My Blog's Past 10 Years?
Apparently, half of all job roles today did not exist ten years ago. That’s from a total of 369 as identified by Deloitte, from App developer to Zumba instructor. So Sales is not unaffected. Selling is almost unrecognisable since my first post all of a decade back. Here’s some of my reflections on changes in our b2b solution sell world;
| 2005 | 2015 |
| daily demoralising phone pong with gatekeepers | introductions granted via social media |
| CV listed organising seminars as a key skill | CV graphs active connections and live events |
| before b2b selling jobs included a chugger, call centre agent and time spent in recruitment | before b2b selling you created a website and/or app and even pitched VCs |
| occasionally read sector mags lying about in receptions | write a blog on a specific business niche issue |
| maintained a deliberate distance from other reps in your company | you mentor and sit on the product development panel |
| unmonitored lavish expense account | frequent video-conferencing, a personal cost centre |
| projected animated slides with clipart aplenty | a single photo is often all that’s required |
| another parcel of ties as Christmas gifts | one lonely tie curled in your desk in case of emergency – that mercifully never seems to come |
| prospect list exclusively large & long-established | the roles you sell to weren’t around ten years ago |
| when you first spoke with a prospect, they knew nothing about you | before your first approach, prospects are aware where you’re at so much they’ve practically made a decision already |
| aim to pursue a career based around a single blue-chip firm | if you stay in one place for three years you’ll be left on the scrap heap |
| hobby choice far removed from work | spare time devoted to live industry issue |
| beach-style novels help soften commute drag | the latest business book club choice grates |
| wing your new product’s elevator pitch | craft a whiteboard description of why you exist |
| no-one ever dared call you out-of-hours | 24/7 availability for all and sundry |
| lucky if Chief Exec speaks at the annual kick-off | CEO wants to call on all your hot prospects |
| price – quality – service | free – perfect – now |
| buy | rent |
| pitch solutions | resolve problems |
| Marketing think they can fix everything | Marketing think they can fix everything |