There's been a lot of talk recently about the diminishing need for salespeople. Part of the argument stems from the fact that buyers, apparently, are better informed than ever. Pundits tell us that things have turned upside down; it's now the era of 'seller beware,' because buyers have greater access to more information and data. But does access to more information actually mean the customer is better informed? Does it really position buyers to make the right decisions?
When looking for the right decision, the old adage 'less is more' may serve decision makers well. John Payne, professor at the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, argues that information overload can actually hamper good decision making:
He maintains the most common results of information overload and its impact on decisions include:
- Decision avoidance or procrastination. This isn’t something sales people want.
- Selection of the default. The customer stays with what they know, who they are working with now, classic status quo.
- Reverting to simple heuristics. This may lead to a customer choosing the lowest cost provider rather than best fit.
It's true that buyers have access to more information, but there's nothing that supports the idea that they are making better decisions as a result. Further, there is no support for the notion that to make the right decision they need sales people any less. The opposite argument is likely more accurate.
First, access does not equal use especially when access is in the form of a fire hose aimed at your face. At some point people shut down, and that point is tied directly to volume – not quality – of information. Filtering, combined with setting objectives in advance is one way decision makers cope. For a seller the opportunity is to influence the filters, not pile on more content for the consumer to sift through. If a salesperson can influence the filters, much like some salespeople influence RFPs they have a direct impact on the decision. This involves focusing on buyers' objectives, and helping them align the information to specifics which drive the outcomes. The objective seller not only filters but synthesizes information into actionable knowledge that leads to desired outcomes. Working back from objectives helps salespeople deliver the right information unencumbered by noise.
As technology advances, the information fire hose will continue to spray at a higher speed than ever before. In fact, as Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt pointed out, every two days now we create as much information as we did from the dawn of civilization up until 2003. And that statement was made in August 2010. Some believe there is so much information and data being produced, there may be a shortage of storage capacity.
Pity the decision maker. Another challenge is that information comes in many forms, from fantasy to expert or independently validated facts and all points in between. Today's social platforms allow people with ill-informed opinions to appear as information sources. Decision makers can often separate the good from the questionable, but not always. With excess information available, knowledge becomes more valuable and hyper commoditized. In turn, this leaves real decision makers not only wanting, but seeking knowledgeable sources in making the right decision.
Superior salespeople strive to be subject matter experts and conduits for best practices. This allows them to talk about outcomes and the process of achieving them, which often has less to do with product or service, and more with understanding the buyer's end goal and competitive landscape. As the saying goes, if my job is to drill the perfect quarter-inch hole, you should be selling me the hole, not the drill. All the information about the drill will do nothing for me. But knowledge about the hole will drive conversation and decisions. Being that conduit is different than being an information curator or content marketer. When decision makers are looking to improve their bottom line, they want someone who can bottom line it for them, not dump it on them.
Tibor Shanto is a principal at Renbor Sales Solutions Inc. He can be reached at tibor.shanto@sellbetter.ca. His column appears once a month on the Report on Small Business website.
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