The following is a guest post by a friend and colleague, Roanen Barron with Barron PCS. I am extremely grateful to Roanen for this contribution to this site. Please be sure to read more about Roanen, and how to connect with him, at the end of this article!
Selling hasn’t changed. We just keep getting better tools. With the advent of the information and internet age, the tools we use to reach people are advancing; however, the principles of selling remain the same. Smart phones and social media have increased the circle of people to which exposure can be gained creating viable alternatives to traditional media. The methodology to attract customers remains the same because people are still people; and, the factors that motivate them to purchase are still the core principles for selling.
The principle of providing value – both in the product or service one provides and the way that one sells it – remains the guiding force for attracting prospective customers and converting them from digital profiles to business revenue. It shouldn’t be surprising. Although the tools and market landscape has evolved, the ultimate target is still the same: reaching people who have the wants and needs that your offering is positioned to fill. What attracts them offline is also what attracts them online. Conversely, what turns them off in the “real world” will also repel them in the virtual world.
The need to be able to articulate ones value proposition in a way that motivates customers to seek you out still applies. Just having a presence on the web or in social circles is not sufficient to adequately provide the revenue growth desired. The message and approach to selling must still be all about them (the customers): what they are trying to accomplish; what they find interesting and motivating; what holds value from their perspective. Selling in an internet environment is still NOT about us (the sellers). It is and always will be about them.
What has changed is the ability for customers to “see behind the sales curtain”. With the information available to them both publicly and socially, customers and prospects can gain a deeper level of access and relationship with those with whom they choose to do business. This greater degree of insight makes it even more important for the people selling to be and remain “authentic” and balanced. You simply cannot be what you are not. Authenticity (or the lack of it) shows through much more readily than the days when the world was not so connected.
I think this is one of the bigger mistakes I see and have even fallen prey to myself: Trying to conform to what other people expect at the sacrifice of being authentically me. Managing one’s online image is important; but, a too meticulously manicured image can create trust issues if and when the reality fails to live up to the electronic expectations set. While some business models allow for customer transactions to be handled virtually in their entirety, many more complex sales will still require an eventual live interface of some degree with a prospect: either through email, phone or the still popular face-to-face engagement.
At the same time, balance must be maintained. One cannot be so different or unique without risking alienation of the largest portion of the potential market. While it may also be true that some business models allow for such exclusive niche presentations to thrive; for the majority of us, there is some level of minimum expectations that must be met in order for prospective customers to be able to recognize the potential for us to be a solution provider. Our approach to be both engaging and personable must be balanced with our desire to use the tools of the internet age to generate revenue.
The bottom line: Use the talents and gifts you’ve been given. The same traits and characteristics that make you a strong seller in live interactions will make you attractive in virtual engagements. People flock to the new tools of the social age because they want and like to connect with other people: not just your company or your brand. You can use social networks just to find customers; but, I think you will find (as I have) that it works much more effectively when you actually like them as people before sizing them up as potential customers. Be yourself and take a balanced approach to prospective customer engagement.
Roanen Barron is CEO of Barron PCS and Worldwide Outbound. Roanen brings over thirty years of sales, marketing and leadership experience to help business leaders overcome common challenges and forge ahead to accomplish their goals. He conducts workshops to help build greater leadership, communication, sales and marketing skills which encourage teambuilding and create higher performing teams. You can find him on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @RoanenBarron.
To learn more about how Worldwide Outbound, a division of Barron PCS, helps you get more traction from your personal media and other targeted marketing efforts, visit our Target Your Market page. Then contact us. We bring the world to you!
To learn more about how Barron PCS helps you identify your growth strengths to quickly and efficiently improve both revenue and profit, visit our Grow Your Business page. We want to help you grow!
Craig M. Jamieson
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