People buy from people. That hasn't changed over many generations. Yet, how we interact with customers and prospects certainly have.
Professionally, I just had to take the "Introduction to SEO/SME" online course by Google that I was fortunate to gain access because it was a qualifying step to exceed 75% to move on for an interview with one of their partners. Ironically, the talent scout told me after I'd passed that in less that a week, he'd had to tell 4 other people ACTIVELY in the field that they wouldn't move forward because they didn't pass the test.
I am sharing this because I actively started a BLOG even before that, signed up to TWITTER around the same time. Next up will be FACEBOOK. I, like so many others, considered these avenues for keeping in touch with family/friends. I look at it humorously at times to see what is really going on in my teenagers lives. Ask them in person and everything is cool. You don't have to wait to ask on Facebook, they're prepared to tell a world of aquaintances, even strangers, what is on their mind.
What startled me recently was a study released just over a week ago that by 2014, Social Media will replace e-mail. What startled me more was the parents dinner a couple of weeks ago while we were out of town for a soccer tournament with our 16/17 y/o daughters -- we were told then that "e-mail is old fashioned". We all were shocked, with our Blackberries and iPhones, close at hand. How could that be? Yet if truth be told, if did want to reach them, they won't pick up the phone but they'll respond to a text. Pretty soon, I will have to read their blogs to find out what really is going on in their heads, where our parents could just simply ask us, even if we still edited what we told them.
Yet it hasn't changed in sales or business. People still buy from people and face to face is ALWAYS best!! However, as sales professionals keep trying to get in front of key decision makers, it is becoming more challenging when there are more shields for us to penetrate or for them to hide behind. It's no longer just the Gatekeepr.
Time to roll up your sleeves and get back to the basics of sales. You have to create a compelling business reason or establish value in order to earn the right to see a decision maker personally. That hasn't changed. Unfortunately, with all the new media, ongoing changes, if we think we're confused, imagine how much more e-mail/social media/tweets our prospects are weeding through, eating up their time, allowing them even less time to meet with sales professionals. The circle is more crowded. Decision makers need us to help them weed through the good, the bad and the ugly, now more than ever before.
A good ole fashion approach letter, on letter head, with handwritten addressee, a real postage stamp (not from a metre) would be such a relief, I'm sure they'd welcome something other than a flyer or e-mail to read!! You still have to go further and be able to say how you are going to make their life easier, save them time, improve the bottom line, increase revenue ... before they even consider the less precious moments they have to spare.
I just put forth my opinion on sustainability (previous BLOG Hogwash, Brainwash, Greenwash or Lipgloss) that's another issue that is clouding key decision making criteria that is causing debate on how valid it is.
Professionally, I just had to take the "Introduction to SEO/SME" online course by Google that I was fortunate to gain access because it was a qualifying step to exceed 75% to move on for an interview with one of their partners. Ironically, the talent scout told me after I'd passed that in less that a week, he'd had to tell 4 other people ACTIVELY in the field that they wouldn't move forward because they didn't pass the test.
I am sharing this because I actively started a BLOG even before that, signed up to TWITTER around the same time. Next up will be FACEBOOK. I, like so many others, considered these avenues for keeping in touch with family/friends. I look at it humorously at times to see what is really going on in my teenagers lives. Ask them in person and everything is cool. You don't have to wait to ask on Facebook, they're prepared to tell a world of aquaintances, even strangers, what is on their mind.
What startled me recently was a study released just over a week ago that by 2014, Social Media will replace e-mail. What startled me more was the parents dinner a couple of weeks ago while we were out of town for a soccer tournament with our 16/17 y/o daughters -- we were told then that "e-mail is old fashioned". We all were shocked, with our Blackberries and iPhones, close at hand. How could that be? Yet if truth be told, if did want to reach them, they won't pick up the phone but they'll respond to a text. Pretty soon, I will have to read their blogs to find out what really is going on in their heads, where our parents could just simply ask us, even if we still edited what we told them.
Yet it hasn't changed in sales or business. People still buy from people and face to face is ALWAYS best!! However, as sales professionals keep trying to get in front of key decision makers, it is becoming more challenging when there are more shields for us to penetrate or for them to hide behind. It's no longer just the Gatekeepr.
Time to roll up your sleeves and get back to the basics of sales. You have to create a compelling business reason or establish value in order to earn the right to see a decision maker personally. That hasn't changed. Unfortunately, with all the new media, ongoing changes, if we think we're confused, imagine how much more e-mail/social media/tweets our prospects are weeding through, eating up their time, allowing them even less time to meet with sales professionals. The circle is more crowded. Decision makers need us to help them weed through the good, the bad and the ugly, now more than ever before.
A good ole fashion approach letter, on letter head, with handwritten addressee, a real postage stamp (not from a metre) would be such a relief, I'm sure they'd welcome something other than a flyer or e-mail to read!! You still have to go further and be able to say how you are going to make their life easier, save them time, improve the bottom line, increase revenue ... before they even consider the less precious moments they have to spare.
I just put forth my opinion on sustainability (previous BLOG Hogwash, Brainwash, Greenwash or Lipgloss) that's another issue that is clouding key decision making criteria that is causing debate on how valid it is.
Jeannette, that is so true what you wrote. That is, "Social Media" is the next big thing to hit us. We can already see its effect in all the new things that are coming about. Time changes with technology and so must we.
ReplyDeleteMy mum and dad, who were quite orthodox and old fashioned type (ofcourse I can't blame them - as all this new era stuff is too much for them and new too), have now started to adapt to this new world in their old age. One example is they now text to communicate with us. :) LOL
It may not seem funny to most, as that is the norm now, but they are not in my shoes to know what my parents are and to see them chnage and adapt......is a sign of things to come.
Jeannette, great post. I agree that Social Media is huge right now. I also believe, however, that it has led to even more "information overload" for prospects that we're trying to reach. It's already overwhelming just to keep up with "normal" (non-social media) emails and phone calls. Now they're invited to participate in multiple Social Media sites which adds to even more communications. Personally, I barely have time to read my LinkedIn messages from the 10 or so groups that I'm a member of but I try to make the time. Until there's a clear choice for B2B within the Social Media world, I wonder if prospects at the executive level will even participate. In a recent LinkedIn Webinar, there was a statistic about how few C-Suite execs even had a LI profile. If they're not on LI, I just can't imagine them being on Facebook, Twitter, etc. unless it's for personal reasons. We shall see...won't we?
ReplyDeleteI completely agree.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I spend more and more time in the virtual world, and less interacting within a face-to-face dynamic.
It seems there are an ever-increasing number of mediums to keep up with - text messages, bbm, MSN chat, 1 personal email, 1 email for personal business, 3 emails for the companies I work with, facebook, twitter, linkedin... People do not even want to use that old fashioned thing called a phone call to actually speak with you.
The key is managing each of these well and making sure to balance with face-to-face interactions.
For me, in business, if I have a face-to-face meeting, 90% of the time it means I will secure a long term relationship with the other party. It's important.
Personally, I prefer to interact with people. However I find more and more often that those who I am with are busy responding to all the mediums beeping on their blackberry. I make a point of putting my blackberry away when I am in a planned event, dinner, coffee, etc in order to enjoy the company and human connection of those I am with. Go in a restaurant and look at each table; each seat at each table has a portable communication device attached sitting on the table waiting to beep with a myriad of sounds...
Staff of Congressional offices will tell you that hand written notes tend to get more often than typed ones or emails. They know time was taken to write those.
ReplyDelete