Is the B2B Salesperson An Endangered Species w/ Bridget Gleason [Episode 267]

Listen in as Bridget and I discuss how salespeople can develop the habits and behaviors that not only improve their current performance, but also secure their role in future.

Welcome to another edition of Front Line Friday with my regular special guest, Bridget Gleason. On this episode, we focus our conversation on the changing role of the B2B salesperson in the face of rapidly evolving sales tools, automation, and systems. We talk about the sales behaviors and skills in the sales cycle that are “uniquely human”, and nearly impossible to replace with technology.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

For years we’ve heard that automation will replace the B2B salespeople. Could that really be true?

Bridget shares how the implementation of email sequencing using Outreach, as an example, could allow marketing to bypass a sales team. But, would it really work?

Automation has been fantastic for establishing contact and boosting productivity, but can it replace the necessary human element in sales.

Responsiveness is a keystone habit for salespeople. Why mastering responsiveness has a ripple effect throughout the entire sales cycle.

Master fundamental behaviors, and you will secure your relevance to your buyers.

People still buy from people―What are the things that help to engender trust, connection, and will encourage a prospect to open up?

As managers, we are responsible for robotic behavior in our sales teams. We need to give our salespeople time to practice.

Attention to detail is critical. When you see some sloppy behaviors in your team, don’t dismiss them. They may be symptoms of deeper, systemic issues.

Asking questions before talking about yourself is so important when opening a pitch. This is a behavior that can easily be refined into a skill.