Selling Semantics

Let’s start with CRM (acronym), Customer Relationship Management. We used to call them Contact Managers, but should we really be managing our contacts? No, we should be managing our relationships.

Apparently managing is now a bad word. Instead we should be leading. Leading where? Not through the sales process. Now we must address the buyer’s journey. I thought that was what we always did?

I’m a huge fan of Dilbert. In one cartoon the pointy-haired boss exclaims to Dogbert the Consultant who is trying to sell him an ISO 9000 program, to paraphrase …

“Aren’t you the same consultant who sold me that worthless TQM program!?” To which Dogbert replies … “I promise you that this program has a totally, totally, different name!” Pointy-haired boss … “Sign me up!”

Semantics. We no longer have salespeople. We have BDRs, SDRs, and AEs. The industry, like every other industry, is filled with so many acronyms that you can’t read anything without deploying Google search for an explanation. Acronyms are one of the greatest power plays of our time. They make the user appear to be smartish. They are designed to make me appear to be … dumbish.

How we should sell is constantly rephrased in order to suggest that … “This is new! It works!”. I will agree that selling has come a long way since the Tin Man days. Tactics and strategies have evolved (much due to technologies) and the adversarial relationship between buyers and sellers is now considered to be taboo. Guess what. It has always been taboo.

Fundamentally, selling has not changed. Of course, this makes it challenging for folks, including me, to write about. People don’t want to read about the same old things over and over again. Therefore, and I’m an avid reader of this subject matter, we spin the materials to make them appear to be groundbreaking. Semantics.

This, IMHO (acronym), is a problem as most reps who I interact with seem to have a poor grasp of selling fundamentals. Instead of mastering these, they will take one of two paths …

Do nothing. I’m getting by and change is hard. Or …
Search for the latest and greatest solutions to their current state of mediocrity. The BBD (acronym), bigger better deal.

Let’s say, for sake of argument, that you are God’s great gift to salespeople. By all means, search to improve your craft. This is also particularly true if you are not so blessed. Professionals always look to get better at what they do!

However, by adding new strategies on top of a foundation that is fundamentally unsound, all you will have built is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. You will only be further distracted from the task that is on hand and you will inevitably flop around like a fish in a boat.

I would suggest that being blinded by shiny bauble syndrome is not necessarily your best path to selling enlightenment. Work on your fundamentals, ignore the semantics, and avoid the acronyms (particularly with your customers) before venturing out further!

You say po-tay-to and I say po-ta-to. Idaho joke. Short post. My gift to you.

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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!