Selling Is Only Half The Solution!

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As a profession we are continually focused on selling, new sales strategies and techniques, pre-qualifying the sale, accelerating the sale and even closing the sale. But, here is something that we so often overlook – selling is only half the solution! Indeed, it may even be part of the problem. Let me explain.

More Selling Is Not The Answer

In the present environment the problem is not that there is not enough selling, it is that there is not enough buying. In response to the slowdown sellers have been making more cold calls, sales pitches and sales proposals than every before. The only problem is that they are not working. Here is why – they don’t help buyers to buy.

Traditional Selling Is Definitely Not The Answer

Much of traditional selling is out of sync with today’s buying, in particular the new realities of buying process and the business case. For example:

• Sellers are still writing sales proposals that bear little, or no resemblance to the buyer’s business case

• Sellers are focused on sales process, unaware of the often rigorous demands of the buyers’ internal buying process

Traditional Selling Does Not Help The Buyer To Buy

Here is a simple realization more selling does not necessarily result in more buying. That is because traditional sales techniques don’t help buyers to buy. That is to say that they don’t help managers to get their projects, or purchases sanctioned.

As salespeople we have not seen it as our job to help the buyer navigate his, or her buying process and more importantly to build a compelling business case for the purchase. This is something that is changing and changing fast.

Selling Gets Interesting

Now selling is getting really interesting – sellers are switching from one side of the table to the other, stepping into the buyer’s shoes and focusing on not just sales process, but buying process too.

Today’ sales people are not only students of selling, but of buying too. They are as focused on buying techniques as sales techniques – as likely to read a book on buying as on selling. If selling is only half the solution, then buying makes it complete.