MARKET REPORT Sales Techniques
The Art of the Sale
Have the principles of selling changed in 2020? In this feature we look to examine if sales people have had
to adapt to an environment where people are more informed than ever about the products and services they
want to consume. David Dungay investigates
The buyers in the market
have never had so much
information at their
ngertips. With a press
of a button they can research
your business, your products
and even YOU. is can make
a sales person’s job a tricky
mine eld to navigate but those
that can adapt can enjoy a huge
amount of success. So what are
customer actually looking for?
Andy Horn, CEO of
IntraLAN commented,
“Customers are looking to
emerging technologies to give
them a competitive edge,
help reduce costs or improve
performance. Jargon busting
has always been an issue, but
more so with the trends around
Arti cial Intelligence and
Machine Learning.
is is where sales are
having to make sure that
these technologies still answer
their customers’ business
challenges and make a positive
impact. Recruiters are trying
to nd people with ve years’
experience selling technology
that is only a year old!”
Marcus Cauchi, Sales
Trainer at Sandler commented,
“Nothing has really changed
when selling to businesses. I
know, controversial but true.
Hear me out. Prospects have
always welcomed calls that
left them with value and have
always resented calls that are
mere interruptions to their day.
Calls that steal their time, pitch
products without demonstrating
the seller has any respect for
their time, lacks understanding
of the problems they are facing
or overstay their welcome have
always been unwelcome.
If you can’t get their
permission to explain why
© ASDF-stock.adobe.com
you are calling and enter their
world inside of 30 seconds,
you’re toast. ey don’t care
that your server is all singing,
all dancing or that you have just
raised £100m in funding, or
that you are the world’s largest
cabungulator manufacturer.
ey want you to answer
one question. ‘Can you help
me?’ If not, go away and bother
someone else. If you can. ey
want to learn more.”
Paul Gibbs, Head of UCaaS
and Mid-Market at Gamma,
said “I think with so much
knowledge online, end users
tend to expect you to know
a good amount about their
business. A well-researched
individual is key but also the
ability to become a ‘trusted
provider to the business in
question. I think gone are the
days of a salesman trying to
shoehorn in what they have in
their kit bag but a consultative
professional that is well versed
in what is best for that customer
with the view that I may not
get a ‘full system’ sale now but
consult and provide in what
they need and you will get the
call when they want to fully
move etc.”
Dave Hawkins, Head of
Channel Sales at KCOM added,
“Internet connectivity and
cloud adoption will continue to
thrive in 2020. Consequently,
as customers seek to make
the transition or evolve their
existing cloud infrastructure
and application stacks, they are
crying out for agile, responsive
and trusted sales advisors that
Marcus Cauchi, Sales Trainer, Sandler
can support them on their
cloud technology journeys. is
means customers are seeking
support from rms that truly
listen to them, understand their
business requirements, and who
are capable of helping them
to select the most appropriate
cloud technologies to improve
their businesses operationally
and nancially in the short and
long-term.”
30 | Comms Business Magazine | January 2020 www.commsbusiness.co.uk
/ASDF-stock.adobe.com
/www.commsbusiness.co.uk