Modern Selling Practices: Using a Spear, Not a Net

Hear our conversation with Jamie Shanks, CEO of Pipeline Signals and author of the books Social Selling Mastery and Spear Selling, where we discuss:
● The interconnection of modern, social and account-based selling
● What scares sales people from performing at their best
● Preparing for the possible economic downturn

As a sales professional, you only control two things: the decisions you make and the actions you take.

Building intention and focus through these actions is essential to overall growth and success, both professionally and personally for salespeople.

Join us on the latest episode of Mental Selling to learn more about the mindset and skillset needed to become a successful modern seller and the essence of creating real value for customers. Check out the full episode! Click the link above!

With the huge influx of sales enablement tools, it is possible and preferable to catch exactly what you want without sorting through the extra noise.

Jamie explains the intricacies of learning to fish with a spear in sales. In addition, he offers invaluable expertise in aligning core values, creating intention in relationships in sales, and preparing for the future.

The past and present of modern selling: It’s all related

Coming from a sales environment that has relied so heavily on toting a net may mean that all this precision talk can seem intimidating.

It can be comfortable to refer to social and account-based selling. However, modern sales approaches will likely give your sales team the upper hand. Fear not. Modern, social, and account-based sales are all interconnected and closely related.

Regardless of the sales approach, all sales teams should believe they are fulfilling three large pillars, according to Jamie. These pillars include:

• Making people money
• Saving people money
• Mitigating risk

Fishing with a spear in the context of a looming scantiness

Experts worldwide are speaking more and more about a looming economic downturn. While professionals and businesses across many industries suffer during recessions and economic crises, sales are often hit hardest.

Jamie explains that an economic downturn doesn’t have to be an end-all in sales. By building relationships and honing in on precise intent signals, sales can continue to thrive.

While navigating a down economy in sales can be difficult, Jamie offered three key pieces of advice:

• Learn to navigate and compete in the virtual world. The old days of planes, trains, and travel are gone and not coming back.
• Embrace virtual sales and social selling (and understand the difference between social marketing and social selling).
• Utilize technological advances to cut out unnecessary expenses and systems and focus on the biggest value-adding systems

Drop the net and pick up a spear: the future of modern selling

It’s no longer efficient or profitable to cast a wide net and filter through every prospect you reel in.

Especially important with an imminent economic downturn, salespeople must get in touch with their mental strengths and weaknesses to fine-tune their ability to target the accounts they can best serve with the three pillars of sales.

Modern Selling Practices Podcast Related Links

Follow Jamie Shanks on Twitter

Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn

Pipeline Signals website

Sales For Life website

Raise your Mental Selling acumen with us by following us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts SoundCloud, Amazon, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate our show or leave a comment— we value YOUR feedback! FeedSpot has also included us as one of the top 30 best sales podcasts on the web.