Insights from Daniel Pink author of 'To Sell is Human' very interesting....
Daniel Pink (speaker and author of New York Times bestsellers 'Drive' and 'A Whole New Mind' was interviewed by YP upon the release of his new book 'To sell is human'.
Interview With Daniel Pink, NY Times Bestselling Author - YP.com
Keys points that interested me from the interview and my own insights:
Today, the consumer is much more likely to be educated about the product or service they are looking to purchase and I think that therefore the sales staff member has to be significantly more knowledgeable about the product than in years past when the consumer did not have the internet to educate themselves about products and services and also has to be better equipped to handle inquiries, objections and to guide the consumer into making an informed decision. Selling is not just about knowledge about the product or service but being knowledgeable about how to guide the consumer to make a buying decision.
To get ahead in sales you have to produce something new in order to rise above your competitors or have a product or service that is not easily outsourced or automated - in other words the consumer must come to you because others will have a difficult time doing what you can do and the product or service cannot be or is difficult to automate (mass produce).
It is not enough to market with the intent to secure a sale, you must market by educating the consumer about benefits and features. Your marketing must be useful to the consumer.
Social media (Facebook, Twitter ect) is playing a major role in the shift in information asymmetry from sellers having more information than consumers to sellers and buyers being more evenly informed and thus putting more pressure on sellers to excel at knowing the benefits and features of a product or service in order to gain sales. Social media sites are giving consumers a voice and a way to communicate with companies.
Consumers are becoming immune to ads and are ignoring them which is something we should recognize as sellers.
No one likes being sold to.
I loved his answer to the last question concerning the biggest change to how we go about our careers in the next 20 years especially in retrospect of how far technology came in the past 20 years (smart phones, social media, etc.) and that in the next 20 the hottest commodities may be in industries that do not exist today. Made me realize just how important it is to stay tuned to new innovations and to think outside the box at greater possibilities perhaps possibilities that do not even exist yet but might be just around the corner. How fast could your business grow if you could anticipate future needs of the consumer?
I greatly enjoy reading interviews because of the gold nuggets I gather and when I can apply them to my business I can see a growth in sales. One must constantly learn or stay stagnant and not grow.
Here is the link again to the interview:
Interview With Daniel Pink, NY Times Bestselling Author - YP.com
Interview With Daniel Pink, NY Times Bestselling Author - YP.com
Keys points that interested me from the interview and my own insights:
Today, the consumer is much more likely to be educated about the product or service they are looking to purchase and I think that therefore the sales staff member has to be significantly more knowledgeable about the product than in years past when the consumer did not have the internet to educate themselves about products and services and also has to be better equipped to handle inquiries, objections and to guide the consumer into making an informed decision. Selling is not just about knowledge about the product or service but being knowledgeable about how to guide the consumer to make a buying decision.
To get ahead in sales you have to produce something new in order to rise above your competitors or have a product or service that is not easily outsourced or automated - in other words the consumer must come to you because others will have a difficult time doing what you can do and the product or service cannot be or is difficult to automate (mass produce).
It is not enough to market with the intent to secure a sale, you must market by educating the consumer about benefits and features. Your marketing must be useful to the consumer.
Social media (Facebook, Twitter ect) is playing a major role in the shift in information asymmetry from sellers having more information than consumers to sellers and buyers being more evenly informed and thus putting more pressure on sellers to excel at knowing the benefits and features of a product or service in order to gain sales. Social media sites are giving consumers a voice and a way to communicate with companies.
Consumers are becoming immune to ads and are ignoring them which is something we should recognize as sellers.
No one likes being sold to.
I loved his answer to the last question concerning the biggest change to how we go about our careers in the next 20 years especially in retrospect of how far technology came in the past 20 years (smart phones, social media, etc.) and that in the next 20 the hottest commodities may be in industries that do not exist today. Made me realize just how important it is to stay tuned to new innovations and to think outside the box at greater possibilities perhaps possibilities that do not even exist yet but might be just around the corner. How fast could your business grow if you could anticipate future needs of the consumer?
I greatly enjoy reading interviews because of the gold nuggets I gather and when I can apply them to my business I can see a growth in sales. One must constantly learn or stay stagnant and not grow.
Here is the link again to the interview:
Interview With Daniel Pink, NY Times Bestselling Author - YP.com