An international fixture for Plan.Grow.Do. with the Certas Energy Lubricants Sales Team. Delivering for our client Shell UK in The Hilton Hotel, Edinburgh.
The room was filled with 28 sales and marketing professionals all with a range of experiences and perspectives.
And that’s the focus of this article, experience and perspective.
As sales trainers we have our content and programme to deliver, the timings all set and materials all ready.
“It does feel strange but in a good way thanks guys and changing an old dinosaur”
A quote from a Certas team member following our Plan. Grow. Do. training day.
We know what’s ahead of the attendees, the value they will receive the insight they will receive and the guidance they will receive.
But, here’s the thing, even if they’ve read the agenda and had a good briefing, they don’t actually know what’s ahead of them.
Sometimes the fear of not knowing exactly what’s going to happen, knowing that they will be challenged because there approach have not been updated in a long time and having no relationship (protection) with the trainers.
I’ve been there, I’ve attended the sales training positioned as “a new way of working”, “new sales approaches” or “a new sales philosophy”. It’s scary and on many occasions my sceptical self would just fold my arms ask exude the aura of “ok bucko what can you teach me”
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As we positioned P.G.D. with the team in Edinburgh we took our time to explain the that the sales training is based on both Rob and my experience. This experience combines some 45 years in sales and marketing and benefits from our experiences in both a traditional and modern approach in sales and marketing.
We recognise openly that what we will share may, no, will challenge some deep routed habits, will challenge preconceived ideas and will challenge their open-mindedness to new ways of working.
We continue to introduce the training programme by recognising year on year it’s easy it is to access information and communicate with people. We draw the obvious parallel that this transcends to their Buyers buying journey. The Buyer has never been so informed and connected.
I actually put it out there that because of this “it’s never been easier to sell because it’s never been easier to buy”.
57% of a buyers decision is made before they even invite you to a meeting.
The first and key challenge is set. If you are not aware of your Buyers buying journey and your not providing content that positions you as an expert that they can easily access, you’ll be precluded from their research and, therefore, not get invited to a meeting.
Experience and perspective for a modern sales approach.
This is where I come back to experience and perspective. In a room of traditional sellers, selling engineering products in a traditional way, this mention of modern selling leads to them realising we are talking digital. We are talking about social media and we are talking about doing things differently to how they do things today.
We are instantly challenging an approach that has worked for them in the past, but, as a Buyers buying journey continues to move to that of a digital one, then surely the seller must adapt to survive.
This our job, this is why Shell UK hired us and it’s why the Certas leadership agreed to take the sales team off the road. Our job is to challenge the thinking, habits and ways of working to modernise your sales approach.
Modernising your sales approach connects you to your ideal clients quicker, easier and more often. Managing these aspects will create you better qualified prospects and lead to better and more successful sales outcomes.
If the approach you and your sales team take today need “modernising” then remember the quote we shared earlier in this article from Paul Passmore, Lubricants Sales Representative from The Certas Energy Lubricants Sales Team gave after spending the day with us;
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So what the heck is Plan. Grow. Do. all about?
Download our overview brochure for more information about how the PGD methodology can improve your business or sales team.
Contact us at info@plangrowdo.com
Plan. Grow. Do. is a collaborative project between The Sales Mindset Coach and 0114 Marketing.
