If you’ve been in sales for awhile, you’ve seen all of the methods for sealing the deal.
In a modern sales environment, the sales strategies of the past (throwing a net and seeing what you can catch) can still have their place. However, with the influx of sales tools, throwing a spear to catch exactly what you need is the modern approach.
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Will Milano
Chief Marketing Officer, Integrity Solutions
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.
“It’s about leveraging sales intelligence to make objective decisions about where you focus your time”
— Jamie Shanks
Modern Selling Practices Podcast Related Links
Follow Jamie Shanks on Twitter
Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn
Pipeline Signals website
Sales For Life website
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