In Sales, Effort Is No Longer Enough

While selling was never truly a “numbers game”, there was a time in the not so distant past when mediocre sellers could compensate for undisciplined processes and mediocre skills with a positive attitude and high outbound volume – the “smile and dial” approach. This is no longer the case and is becoming less so at an accelerating rate. What used to be enough to get by, and even thrive, is rarely enough to even survive. Sellers who adjust to the current reality with discipline (and yes, effort) are those will stand out from their peers and competitors.

With Fewer Opportunities to Interact, Each Interaction is of Higher Consequence

The combination of significantly lower call connection and email open rates means that sellers are getting fewer opportunities to interact with prospective buyers, not to mention invitations to meet them in person. As someone who trains and coaches sales leaders and reps across a broad range of industries, none of them have told me that performance expectations handed down from senior leadership have been reduced accordingly.

To use a baseball analogy, it’s as if the game has been reduced from nine innings to seven, yet the team owners still expect their cleanup hitter to hit forty home runs in a season with three at-bats per game as opposed to four or five. For example, if it was acceptable for a power hitter to have a .250 batting average if he drove in a lot of runs, it’s as if he now has to hit .300 to get the same number of home runs and RBIs.

The selling equivalent? More first interactions need to convert to second ones. Win rates need to improve. And Average Transaction Values need to be higher.

What Sellers Need to Do to Succeed

Being sent down to the minor leagues or forced into involuntary early retirement is not something any ballplayer or seller should aspire to. To avoid such a relegation, sellers need to consider the following:

The proper balance of prospect (and account) research and volume. Spend enough time preparing for a cold call or email to be equipped to offer value to the prospect in each interaction without falling victim to “paralysis by analysis”.
Accept that lower connect and open/return rates are just a much a factor of prospects simply not having time to review outbound outreach as its questionable quality. Therefore, improve the relevance of your outreach, and when you get the opportunity to speak with a prospect, lead with empathy and appreciation – and then make it worth their time
Leave marketing messaging to marketing. There remains a role for outbound communication that focuses on an overall value proposition and perceived benefits – it just can’t come from salespeople. Marketers don’t speak with customers, sellers do. Act accordingly by making each interaction relevant to the individual with whom you are speaking and not just their persona or company (and when you garner insights, let your colleagues in marketing know)!
Make it worthwhile for your prospect to speak with you again – if both sides agree that it makes sense to do so – and schedule that second call while you’re on the first one.

Nothing that I’ve shared is any great revelation or something that others haven’t stressed. I felt compelled to do so because, unfortunately, simple advice is often the most ignored. That being said, a positive attitude and strong work ethic will never go out of style. Just remember to work smart and not just hard.

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