Recession Over?!
10/6/2009 1:30:43 PM
So the recession is over! Well at least that’s what they said on the TV last week? Monday apparently we were still in recession and then BANG Tuesday all over, what a relief, or is it?
We all know that life, business, recessions are all about PERCEPTION, it is how we perceive the world that counts not how it actually is. On that basis then if enough people perceive the recession to be over then IT IS!
HOWEVER what has changed? What do we as businesses and sales people need to have learned from this and what do we need to do differently, because believe me the world of selling and business has changed, HAVE YOU?
Yes we all will have to work harder for each and every sale, cold calling NEVER actually worked and now the ‘difficulty factor’ for that approach will have raised several more degrees. But that’s not it, there is more to it than that
Prospects are much more informed and aware now - they are better educated when it comes to the Market, the products/services, the competition etc - even the ‘gatekeepers’ are better prepared and much harder to get past. Technology, the internet etc have all played a part in that obviously. Even more frustrating is that since the recession started to bite hard the buying cycles of the past have gone right out of the window, stretched even longer as buyers are taking much longer to consider as well as often having to consult their bosses, checking on if they can go ahead.
Have we adapted to that, have we formed effective strategies to compensate?
The more you think about this the more we realise the game is different now, the rules have changed, the playing field has moved. Have YOU changed your approach and style to meet these changes? If we went back in time and transported Stanley Matthews to today would he still be in the England squad , or still be able to keep his place in a top team at the age of 50? Or have modern training techniques and the use of modern technology moved the game on well beyond where it was then?
As sales people we sometimes act like the old fashioned footballers trying to play in the modern game, yes we get the occasional success (we all get lucky sometimes) but consistent success requires CHANGE.
Whether the recession is over or not, as sales people we need to change the way we operate so that we can meet the modern buyers effectively.
Your sales approach needs to be upgraded, rebooted, and recycled to bring it into the 21st century. The good news is we can all achieve this.
Check out my sales training audio course to get the winning formula and make that upgrade!
Kindest Regards,
Nigel
|