Six Lessons from 600 Episodes of Accelerate! w/ Bridget Gleason [Episode 626]

Bridget Gleason is VP of Sales for Logz.io and my regular partner on Front Line Fridays.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Andy introduces the topic: what Andy has learned from recording over 600 episodes of #Accelerate.
• B2B selling hasn’t changed that much. It’s still about those person-to-person moments when the seller has to communicate and deliver value to the buyer. Those moments cannot be outsourced to technology.
• Technology is going to have a massive impact on sales and sales outcomes but it’s not having that impact, yet, as far as contributing to levels of sales or productivity.
• “We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.” — Amara’s Law. Andy expects this to happen in sales.
• Bridget thinks that without the new technologies, sales performance would be further behind buyer behavior than it is. Technology has not raised the level of sales performance, but Andy expects that it will, in time.
• The vast majority of sales tools released in the last five years are sales-centric. Andy is looking for tools that make the buyer’s experience easier. Such tools would improve sales performance hugely. A few exist.
• Human sales skills need to improve. There are more barriers to connection. Bridget never answers a phone call or an email from someone she doesn’t know. Yet phone and email are still the primary outreach tools.
• The science of selling has two dimensions: data, which we don’t yet really know how to analyze and use, and social psychology, which has been revolutionized in the last 50 years. Andy discusses these two dimensions.
• In sales, where your business is to build relationships with people in order to inspire and influence their decisions, it is very important to know how people arrive at decisions. Reps influence buyers to buy solutions they need.
• The number one challenge mentioned on #Accelerate is that reps are overwhelmed. Andy reviews the aspects of being overwhelmed.
• Bridget suggests that improved prioritization and time management skills would help reps to face their challenges. Multitasking is a myth. Focus is necessary.
• Sales leaders and salespeople are not investing enough in their own development, on their own time, regardless of any training the company offers. Bridget says this is not universal. A few reps are self-directed. All should read!