Selling 101 - Series Introduction

For the past several years, the focus of my writing has largely been devoted to social selling. Why? Because that is the hot topic and it is also what people have asked me to write about. Gives the folks what they want. I would also strongly endorse the benefits of this (r)evolution!

Social selling has brought about some dramatic changes including selling-marketing mashups as well as specialized sales positions … SDR, BDR, etc. Now, I have always viewed social selling as an extension of selling selling but, you still have to know how to sell! Social selling just makes you better at what, hopefully, you already do well.[Tweet “Let’s get back to basics with Selling 101!”]

With this series we will getting back to the basics. I’m expecting a certain degree of liberation as, if social selling is not a part of the topic, I’m not going to feel the need to try to squeeze that in. If it is, I will. Besides, I think that the discussion of fundamental selling skills is being largely under-served!

While I love literally everything about B2B selling, the nuances are what I enjoy the most and they may be the most difficult to put into writing. It’s the little things that count. Furthermore, selling does not have to be a dance between the matador and the bull. Honestly, that kind of philosophy went out with Tin Men.

Selling is “the science of communication and persuasion.” Effective selling requires clearly delivered communication in a language that is properly accepted and understood by your customer. It also means that, as a salesperson, we must listen intently with all of our senses. Persuasion is, at its core, a subtle art.

Thus far, I have identified 20 plus topics to get started. These articles will not necessarily be long but, they will have meat. I want to talk about all aspects of the selling process but, each article will likely focus on one aspect or technique. Is there still a place for basic old-school selling? I think so and I hope that you will agree!

As I believe that selling remains a contact sport, we’ll focus on getting nose to nose and toes to toes. Some call this P2P (person to person) and I agree! Stay tuned! My plan is to publish one article in this series each month.

On a personal note, I have reached that age where I will be slowing things down a bit. The fact is, I have been semi-retired for over 10 years and I am now getting closer to removing that “semi” from the title. However, I am not going away. At least, not yet 🙂 Thank you for your continued readership and support!

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Craig M. Jamieson

Managing Member at Adaptive Business Services

Craig M. Jamieson is a lifelong B2B salesperson, manager, owner, and a networking enthusiast. Adaptive Business Services provides solutions related to the sales professional. We are a Nimble CRM Solution Partner. Craig also conducts training and workshops primarily in social selling and communication skills. Craig is also the author of "The Small Business' Guide to Social CRM", now available on Amazon!