5 Ways to Succeed in the Changing World of Sales The professional world of selling is more competitive than ever, and it's only going to become more so.
By Matt Mayberry Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Ryan Estis, who is the former chief strategy officer for the McCann Worldgroup advertising agency. Estis is now a wildly successful keynote speaker known for his unique ideas on improving sales effectiveness and preparing for the future of work.
We talked about a lot of different topics, but the one thing I was extremely fired up to share with all of you was our discussion about how professional sales is changing. Forrester predicts that one million B2B sales jobs will disappear by 2020.
Being a former professional athlete, I've found that one of the main reasons why the category of sales was always so intriguing to me was its competitive nature.
The professional world of selling is more competitive than ever and it's only going to become more so. Estis had this to say about the evolving world of sales: "The first ones to go will be the salespeople who can't differentiate themselves -- who can't make themselves part of the value proposition."
He continued, "In 2020, the most successful salespeople will be the teachers. The ones who can help clients think differently about the future of their business."
Related Book: Success Secrets of Sales Superstars, by Robert L. Shook and Barry Farber
Succeeding in sales in 2020 is going to require a whole new level of skill set, discipline and preparation.
Here are Ryan Estis' five ways to succeed in sales in 2020.
1. Prepare like a champion.
In order to be great in anything you absolutely must do your homework. It's amazing that so many salespeople still to this day don't prepare and do their homework. Estis said, "I get four or five cold sales emails a day. Rarely does the seller take the time to properly research my company.
"If a seller researched me, determined I was a good fit for their solution or service and reached out in a way that focused on me and my business challenges, you'd better believe I'd pause before hitting 'Delete.'"
2. Look for customization and personalization.
You are missing out on an incredible opportunity if you choose not to personalize and customize for every client of yours. On the topic of the importance of customization and personalization, Estis said: "Do you believe deeply that you can help the customer? Prove it. Get specific.
"Tell prospects why they should care, and show up prepared for impact. Your ability to customize for every client is imperative. It's what the customer expects today."
3. Focus on being a teacher.
The best salespeople fully understand that teaching sells. "Teaching is a gateway into a credible relationship built on trust. Look for every opportunity to contribute value and provide expert guidance up front." Estis said.
Related: How I Got Into Sales
4. Better is what actually is better.
Automation makes it easy to blast out an email to 20,000 people on a list. Somebody's got to respond, right? Wrong. As Estis said, "I cannot think of a faster way to take a relationship from neutral to negative than to consistently assault someone's inbox with irrelevant information.
"Instead, slow down and make every interaction count. Every touchpoint with a potential customer is a chance to add value and advance the relationship."
Related: Artificial Intelligence Promises Big Things for the Future of Sales and Customer Satisfaction
5. Always look to build a meaningful connection.
When you think of sales as a human connection rather than just another transaction, you are well on your way to differentiating yourself from the competition. Said Estis: "Sales isn't just about the science. There's a craft to professional selling. Look for ways to build a meaningful connection. That might mean closing the laptop and finding a way to talk to your clients and prospects, on the phone or in person.
"Can you differentiate and win on human connection? The best way I know how is to deliver a little bit more than the customer expects every single time. Be remarkable, consistently."
