Keeping Sales Simple is Hard

The path to success in sales is simple.

Be human. Ask great questions. Listen slowly. Deliver value at every opportunity.

But, the challenge is that keeping your selling simple is hard work.

It’s easy to get distracted by the latest shiny object that promises to magically transform your results.

Or become anxious when you see yet another report that claims you’ll soon be replaced by a machine.

Therefore, what you have to keep in mind is that your buyers aren’t clamoring for you to use technology to make your selling less personal.

They aren’t anxiously waiting for a machine to sell to them.

Buyers want a human experience that helps them quickly gather information to make a good decision with the least investment of time and money possible.

That’s why it’s essential to keep your focus on developing your simple human sales skills.

Technology, methodology and process are vital in selling.

But they aren’t constant. Technologies change. Methodologies and processes go in and out of fashion.

What doesn’t change or become outdated is the fundamental and irreplaceable human connection that is at the heart of the B2B sale.

And, it’s up to you to keep educating yourself about the human skills of sales that enable you to make that connection.

To master how to connect with another human, engage their interest, build their trust and inspire them to take action.

Without a strong foundation built on these simple human sales skills, even the greatest sales tech, sales methods or sales process won't help you reach your goals.

Actually, I shouldn’t label them as “essential.”

Essential makes them sound important but not mandatory.

Don’t kid yourself. These are not optional sales skills.

Being human is not an option.

Asking great questions is not an option.

Listening slowly is not optional.

Delivering value is not optional.

You don’t have a future in sales if you aren’t proficient with these simple skills.

- Andy Paul