What is a "revolution?" And how does apply to the world of sales? A Princeton University online dictionary defines "revolution" as a "drastic and far-reaching change in the ways of thinking and behaving.
" Revolution also means "the overthrow of those governing by those governed.
" A "revolution" often manifests itself in warfare between nations and tribes.
But a "revolution" is not limited to bullets, bombs, and spilled blood.
It can be intellectual, cultural, attitudinal, profit and/or technology-driven.
Revolution can be a significant overhaul in the way you run your business, laying to rest the ways you did it in 1973, 1983, or 1993 which, while successful back then, are outdated and ineffective now.
We are governed by our thoughts.
To be sales revolutionaries, we--the governed--must overthrow what's governing us--any obsolete, outdated thinking about how to profit from our sales activities.
We must fill our minds with modern business wisdom, then act upon it--constantly alert and open to new methods and ideas.
This is especially true in sales, especially sales in the 21st Century.
Many seasoned sales people incorrectly believe that face to face sales are strongly-preferred.
But like lots ofold-fashioned ideas, that's no longer true.
Today, face to face sales sometimes are necessary, but "remote" sales (by Internet and phone) typically are equally effective and much more profitable, since the cost of remote sales is lower typically than face to face sales.
As an example, 73% of direct selling is done face to face, according to a 2003 study by the Direct Selling Association.
The same study shows that 27% of direct selling is done remotely--mostly by phone, 16% and Internet, 11%.
But this 73% is very misleading.
Here's why.
62% of the 73%face to face selling (85% of it) is done in distributors' homes.
Moreover, the DSA study was done three years ago and, most likely, is woefully out of date now, especially considering the rapid growth of the Internet and online sales in the last three years.
A sales person cannot use the 73% statistic to justify continued reliance in face to face selling, which can have excessive costs--eroding or eliminating any profit.
Almost everything is sold online now, including oils and lubricants, and this trend is increasing daily--speedily.
73% of Americans are regular Internet users.
With a population of 300 million people, the estimated number of regular Internet users in the USA is 219 million--a huge market to tap online.
So, why limit yourself to a handful of people locally? Clearly, there is no reason for sales people to burden themselves by a heavy, if not exclusive, reliance on face to face selling.
The evidence in favor of strong reliance on face to face selling is very unpersuasive.
Additionally, face to face selling has far too many drawbacks in the 21st Century.
1.
Face to face selling can increase sales expenses, expenses, depriving some sales people of any profit whatsoever.
2.
You can deal with only one customer or prospect at a time with face to face selling.
If you use modern Internet techniques for your business, your website could attract additional sales and redirect these sales up to your online store--24 hours daily, seven days per week.
3.
Face to face sellers often do not use or follow a Business Plan.
They have no overall plan except to react to sales leads.
If they talk to enough people, somebody will buy some day.
These sellers tend to be one man bands, rather than sales team builders.
You cannot have focused, profitable sales strategies and tactics without a Business Plan, because these things flow directly from the Plan.
Selling has changed dramatically.
"One call closers" are becoming dinosaurs, since many people no longer will sign up after one sales pitch.
They may buy after your fifth or seventh contact.
Thanks to the Internet, customers have as much knowledge as you do about products--often more.
And people are using the Internet for research, even if they buy a product in a store or from an distributor eventually.
4.
Face to face selling results in calling on too many people who never will buy.
That's because you're not screening them in advance by email or phone to find out just how serious they are, thinking if only you meet with them, then you'll sell them.
Dream on.
5.
Face to face selling doesn't allow you to differentiate between tire kickers and people actually looking your product or service.
However, people responding to your website, if it has been optimized for search engines and you use sponsored search, have given at least some consideration to the purchase of your products or services.
At any one time, there are about 150 million people online.
At your computer, "you're three feet away from the entire online world," says marketing consultant Max Steingart.
6.
Internet customer contact techniques allow you to build deeper relationships with customers, leading to higher levels of retention, and selling to more to buyers, more often, and in high dollar volumes.
7.
Face to face selling limits you to your local area.
Many sales people live in sparsely-population rural areas.
Why miss the opportunity, no matter where you live, to market your products and services to millions of people online? In the 1950's, business consultant John Diebold, a Harvard graduate, was fired three times for insisting that clients consider computerizing.
He started his own firm.
He won contracts from Chase Manhattan Bank, IBM, AT&T and Xerox.
Diebold was ahead of his time technologically.
Are you a progressive thinker like Diebold? Or do you have the mindset of Diebold's bosses who fired him three times? Diebold prospered.
He used technology to help companies earn more profit.
What about you?