Sometimes it surprises me at how some people are so unwilling to even discuss changing their behaviors, even if there are large financial incentives to do so. I would have once thought a salesperson would be keen to adjust anything that helps them improve their conversion rates, but that is not actually the case. And, it seems that the more tenured, the more resistant they may be to change, even if they are not performing at a high enough standard.
Sales is generally one of those areas that is supported by a lot of numbers, however the actions that lead to those numbers has a fair amount of ambiguity. There is no surefire system to making sales, and there are a cluster of aspects that interact with each other. A good product is rarely enough if the seller is terrible, in the same way that a good seller has limited success with a terrible product. Plus, there are the other aspects involved, like the state of the economy, the conditions and directions of the company and the personalities on both sides of the table. There are a lot of variables that lead into the results, and knowing exactly what affects what under various conditions, is a challenge.
But, despite the ambiguity, it is possible to improve opportunity conversions through consistently performing the right actions, especially when it comes to communication. For instance, in an early engagement in the sales cycle, a seller might not be talking to the decision maker directly, but someone who has been charged with collecting options. This makes the person a gateway, a conduit to the decision-maker, and in order to get through, they have to see the value in taking the conversation forward. This makes it sound like they are able to just have a chat with their supervisor, but that is not quite the case.
Especially with more complex solutions like business software, a short engagement that gives an overview, discovers some aspects of the company, and says "we can help you" isn't enough for them to take it forward. And even if they do take it forward verbally, they are unlikely to present it well. There are just far too many variables in play, and essentially, the salesperson has to own the conversation, control the narrative. This means that they have to give their contact the collateral to confidently take the conversation further, without the risk of "losing face" in the eyes of their supervisor in some way. Even if they think they have seen a good solution and fit for their business, this hurdle can be quite high in some organizations.
Communication is key in sales, but it isn't just the verbal communication, or the visual - there are also all of the other aids that can help the salesperson better engage with their audience in order to be able to uncover the right points and strategies to continue the discussions. A seller needn't be an industry expert in the target prospect's industry, but they do have to be able to develop valuable discussion so that they can dive into the challenges their prospect faces, and get a deep understanding of their needs.
And, while it is obviously in the best interest of the seller to sell, it should also be in the best interest of the prospect to buy. This is especially important in SaaS companies, because the value of the sale isn't at the point of commitment, it is spread out over time, and the longer they are a customer, the more they are worth. That means, keeping them satisfied, which requires adding value, consistently. For many to business SaaS companies, if a customer churns in the first couple years, it realizes a loss.
We live in a world of tools and automation, AI to help build content and gather data, as well as business intelligence. However, when it comes to selling enterprise solutions, it really comes down to people building the relationships with people. And, this requires far more basic behaviors, like following up after a call with some material that helps the contact have an intelligent discussion.
It is interesting however, that despite the activities being relatively easy and small to do, and the return being very large, a lot of people see good communication as some kind of unnecessary step in the process, something they can skip. Why wouldn't we look to make our impact greater, increase our returns, and be better at what we do? Well, maybe we do want, but we aren't willing to make the changes necessary, even if the bar to do so is incredibly low.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
