Four Signs Your Winery's ?? Sales Culture is Stuck in the 80s

Right off the bat, I have no problem with the 80s. I was in my 20s all through that decade and look back fondly on the era. Perhaps you do, too. But, if your (or your company’s) sales approach, tools, and processes are still the same as when Madonna ruled the airwaves and you carried a Walkman everywhere, I suggest taking a good long look at the calendar. It’s been 40 years, for crying out loud. What worked then won’t work now. So, here’s a quick test to see if YOUR sales culture is stuck in the 80s.

1)? ? You focus on products and product knowledge

There’s no question that every salesperson should have a solid working knowledge of all the products in their portfolio. But if your company’s sales training heavily emphasizes product knowledge (along with the accompanying belief that this will improve sales), you’re seriously delusional.

There are two problems at work here. First, many buyers see what they buy as commodities, meaning completely interchangeable. This is why there’s so much price pressure. If all products are the same, the only differentiation is price.

The second problem is that buyers don’t need sellers to tell them about their products’ attributes. In 1985, they did.? But, thanks to Al Gore, any savvy buyer in 2023 can (and does) conduct his/her research – right from their desk. The idea that buyers need a live person to fly to their city, rent a car and hotel, and then appear at their desk in person so that they can talk about their products is insane. What an incredible waste of time and resources!

2)? ? You use phrases like “push” and “pitch.”

Whenever I hear the word “push” in the context of sales and marketing, I reflexively expectorate in my mouth. Are you kidding me? High achievement in sales has nothing to do with exerting force or being aggressive and everything to do with building relationships and adding value. If I have to explain this, I know what to buy you for your birthday: a calendar. The year is 2023. And for heaven’s sake, read Daniel Pink. Read Seth Godin. Read Malcolm Gladwell. You’ve missed a lot of great books in the last 40 years. I suggest you get busy. And unless you’re presenting a major business deal to a group of angel investors or a guest on Shark Tank, you’ve got no business using the word “pitch.”

3)? ? You measure the number of sales calls made

Whatever you measure, you’ll get more of it.? Which would you rather have: more sales calls or more sales? Beware of the lame assumption that there’s somehow a correlation between activity and achievement.? Nonsense. Fiction. Healthy, profitable sales are the byproduct of a much larger relationship. Why not measure the number of engaged customers you have? We’re talking about people who repeatedly use your products regularly. How many of your customers have been with you for two, five, or more years? Do you know the lifetime value of each customer? Do you know what it costs to acquire a new customer? Now, these are great things to measure. Stop measuring sales calls. When the horse stops breathing, it’s time to dismount.

4)? ? Lots of time spent preparing presentations

Whenever I rail on about the futility of presentations, I always receive wide-eyed responses of indignation- but only among those “stuck in the 80s.” The fact of the matter is that most salespeople don’t know any better. No one has ever taught them differently. I like what Jeff Thull says in his brilliant book, Mastering the Complex Sale. Jeff says that most presentations are a waste of time because they’re plagued with three fundamental problems: content, timing, and audience. They present too much, too soon, and to the wrong people. It’s incredible how much time some salespeople spend preparing presentations.

Just like I mentioned above about the focus on products and product knowledge, there’s this mistaken assumption that success in sales is about giving people information. It might have worked in the ’80s, but it’s virtually pointless in 2023. That time would be better spent discovering needs and designing solutions collaboratively with the client. The “modern” way of selling is not about peddling information. It’s about engagement and adding actual business value.

How to get "modern" in your sales approach

If you’re bothered by anything I’ve said here, it’s not entirely your fault. Most of it is your fault because you haven’t taken the steps necessary to improve and hone your skills to keep up with the times. But it’s not entirely your fault. Most companies who employ sales teams not only perpetuate the outdated sales methods of the past but reinforce them. The good news is that it’s never too late to “upgrade” your skills. I’ll leave you with this final thought: “If you can’t change the company you work for, change the company you work for.”

In just over one hour, this FREE mini-course will get you "modernized!"