The Old vs. The New:
Sales Model
How's your weekend guys! Mine? Tiring! Dragon Boat races are just around the corner and we started our boat practices last Saturday (my back was aching until yesterday!). Other than Dragon Boat, our Thai friends here in National Cheng Kung University celebrated their Songkran Festival (Thai Water Festival) last Sunday. Quite a week eh? But it was definitely a fun-filled weekend!
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| I think I was way too happy in this photo... =_=" |
The question of the day was brought to you by LinkedIn. You know guys, I really do suggest that you apply for a LinkedIn account (especially for professionals). I picked up a lot of useful articles, insights, and cases just from my daily news feed. Like our question for today! The Old vs. The New!
I think it's obvious that everyone of us have that "salesperson" within us since we were kids. You don't believe me? Well, remember that time on 1st grade when you have a lot of candies but you would like to take a sip from your classmate's "oh-so" delicious chocolate milk drink? That's right! Your first barter trade! Or when your seatmate in highschool forgot to bring a piece of paper for that surprise quiz? And guess who supplied the whole class in exchange for a few change? That's right, You! But in this day and time, the way that the game is played changes more often than not in order to cope up with the times. Like our model above.
THE OLD
A well dressed Sales Representative will walk around town, knocking on your doorstep and fronting a big smile. Instead of receiving emails, most people would receive phone calls. These phone calls would come from Sales Representatives who would do their best to offer their products during your conversation. The good old times, right? However, is it still efficient in this time? In my opinion, the answer is "No".
THE NEW
In this age and time, information is most likely the most valuable asset for new generation sales representatives. Every single one of your potential customer are connected in the world wide web, and most likely owns at least 3 social networking accounts. Instead of giving a demo on how your product works, why not educate them of the importance of your product? Engaging the customers helps them get more involved with how they wanted their product to be which in turn helps increase the chances of having your products sold.
CONCLUSION
We all know that times change, so does our market, and the ways we engage with them. We are now facing a market with complex needs and wants, with the fact that all of them are educated and well informed buyers. So let's keep up with the tide! Make a change!
Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he
will establish your plans.
I think that this graphic is not very good. IMHO it is an incorrect over simplification based on faulty assumptions.
ReplyDeleteSimply put, I think: Left side = Sales, Right side = Marketing
Sales is about capturing a lead and getting that lead to exchange money for value. That is done through personal interaction, answering questions, following up, service promises, and making the exchange happen. The key to sales is understanding the value proposition to your customers and convincing the lead that it is worth parting their hard earned cash for that value.
The right side of the diagram is marketing. Marketing is responsible for increasing awareness, generating leads, educating potential consumers, drumming up interest, and then passing the people that come through the pipeline on to the sales department where the deals eventually get closed.
All six of the functions listed have their place in business. Just because there is more of an emphasis now-a-days on the right side, it doesn't mean that the left side should be abandoned. The secret is to have your customers feeling that they are in control of the situation and that they are engaged with your product and brand through social media and the like. Once they have indicated and expressed interest (ie. downloading web content about your product) sales is responsible for reaching out to the person with a "service" attitude, focus on the value of the product or service, and get a deal closed.
Basically, the way I see it is that we have seen a shift where marketing roles have become increasingly important. Sales functions have not been replaced and are still necessary, but marketing is more than just a print ad or 10 second commercial on TV. Customers expect to be engaged and to be informed of the advantages your product offers. They should be able to find that content online and be able to do their own research. When they are ready to purchase, a sales rep should know they exist, have a record of their interests, and be ready to take their order and upsell. That is the difference.
Anyway, that is just my $0.02. I figure if you want a discussion on your blog I would at least present another opinion to debate.
Thanks Philip! I agree with your thoughts on this one most especially with the fact that we shouldn't abandon the left side. But I guess, what I didn't mention carefully was that the left side is likely an evolution to keep up with the tide. I have faced so many companies recently that ties up both SALES and MARKETING in a single position. It's becoming very common for SALES to have deep knowledge with the items listed on the right side of the diagram.
DeleteI guess people are changing and so are their tastes and preferences :)
Thank you very much for the comment! I highly appreciate it!