BY Jessica Helinski
Are you using outdated sales tactics? A sales tactic won’t always be applicable, efficient or appropriate in every situation or time. Salespeople must be able to recognize when a certain action should be avoided.
Failing to evolve with the times can hurt reps. They risk missing out on connecting with buyers who have changed their processes and expectations.
In fact, sellers even recognize this issue when it comes to their managers. SalesFuel’s Voice of the Sales Rep study found that nearly 20% say their manager’s top weakness is the inability to adapt to new information/ideas.
"Buyers expect a different experience today,” Denise Gibson, Director of AdMall Sales, explains.
“The reps who keep learning and adapting are the ones closing deals; everyone else gets left behind.”
What outdated sales tactics are holding you back?
HubSpot’s Jay Fuchs shares various strategies that were once effective but just don’t resonate these days. Some are outdated and incompatible with today’s buyers while others don't align with the current environment.
He encourages reps to rethink using any of these strategies, and he backs up his reasoning with expert advice from others.
Outdated positioning statement
Don’t throw away your positioning statement; just dust it off and update it. Goals, challenges, the economy…a lot has changed in the past few years for both buyers and sellers. It’s important your statement reflects those changes.
Update your position statement by considering how prospects have had to pivot in the past year and researching where they are currently headed and what they are prioritizing now.
Fuchs shares advice from sales professional Korina Ortiz, who advises sales reps to forget what they “know” and instead, "be 100% curious about their customers' new reality."
Overreliance on case studies
Case studies can be effective. But reps don’t always leverage them effectively, often relying too heavily on them to sway buyers. Instead, share a case study after you’ve identified exactly what the prospect needs, their pain points, etc.
Modern sellers use them to showcase value rather than as an early-stage sales tool.
Qualifying on the connect call
Often, to save time, reps received advice to go ahead and qualify a prospect on the first call. While time isn’t any less valuable these days, this outdated sales tactic should be dismissed.
As Fuchs points out, today’s sales reps should rethink how they approach initial conversations. He believes that reps should focus on building rapport and uncovering opportunities. Then, once rapport is built, focus on qualifying.
Closing and moving on
Traditional sales very much had a “hunter” mentality. Sellers would focus on closing deals and then hunting for more, often not connecting with customers until it was time to renew. This outdated sales tactic left customer service lacking.
“Calling only when a renewal is due is so 2014,” says Dan Tyre, HubSpot’s sales director.
“Set up four quarterly updates — if only for 15 minutes — with the client to check in every three months, create a quick agenda…”.
Also, don’t forget to reach out to satisfied clients for referrals and testimonials. A happy client is likely to help boost your business by sharing their positive experiences. If getting renewals is a struggle, take a look at these tips to make the process easier.
Be mindful and evolve
When navigating sales, think about how your processes align with today’s environment. Do you still use any of these practices?
Consider if what you typically do is outdated or not compatible with modern buyers, and don’t be afraid to change. By evolving your approach, you’ll find that connecting with prospects, and closing sales, come more easily.
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
