Navigating the New World of Selling

I have always been fascinated by sales, even though the first half of my career has been in operations. Ultimately, we are all sales people. We sell when we try to convince our children to go to school or when we try influencing and persuading colleagues on our ideas. Early in my career, my passion for sales clashed with the most pervasive myth that sales is distasteful because it’s deceitful. I’m sure many can relate to the image of the door-to-door salesman. Later, I realized that much of the common belief about sales derives not from the inherent nature of selling but from the information asymmetry that long defined the context in which people sold (Pink, 2013). I have also noticed how the world is changing, with markets becoming saturated by communication and buyers growing more discerning. Pink (2013) stated that in a world of information parity, the new guiding principle in the field of sales is caveat venditor—seller beware. Indeed, when the seller no longer holds an information advantage and the buyer, has the means and the opportunity to talk back (or believe to hold the right information), moving people depends on more sophisticated skills and requires intellect and creativity.

The customer's perception of the value we provide is a crucial indicator of our success or learning. Value creation is a widely debated topic that can be misleading if we don't approach it pragmatically. Thompson and Lowndes (2023) state that there is a spectrum of approaches in sales that go from transactional, to consultative, to transformational and the optimal space on the spectrum is dictated by various conditions. While the transactional seller focuses on the product and the consultation on solving one problem, the transformational seller focuses on outcomes, act as a catalyst for change and add greatest value to the customer’s operations. For being transformational 3 key attributes are required: knowledge, skills and mind set. Their mind set is a combination of attitude, beliefs and response to their environment which requires constant adapting and developing.

This means also that sales processes are getting more complex and longer which is sometime conflicting with short-term objectives. For example, in sales one of the key expectations from your organization is to provide an accurate forecast. Setting the right capacity levels is crucial for any successful business. We usually take a very short-term view, which makes sense. Why should we plan for something that might happen three years from now or even later? We may be able and willing to do so, but only at a high level, with a stronger emphasis on being accurate in the present when we have clearer inputs and better control over internal and external factors. The risk is that this approach overlooks the lifetime value of a customer, a concept that is not new but not so widely discussed among firms. One of the most insightful yet underappreciated readings I've encountered is from Peppers and Rogers (2005). In this work, the seller moves beyond the conventional information asymmetry, adding value by aligning with the customer's perspective and turning it into a long-term business opportunity.

In addition to the need for sellers to adapt and develop, a strong commitment to continuous improvement is essential, particularly through the consistent application of established methodologies. Interestingly, these methodologies become less formalized when transitioning from operations to sales. For instance, Lean Six Sigma is seldom used or even recognized by many salespeople. This perspective needs to be reconsidered—or the knowledge gap closed—since this methodology is always centred around the customer. The same applies when creating new products or delivering services where none currently exist, or where existing ones are inadequate and need replacement.

Several tools support continuous improvement, such as brainstorming, which is often used to generate ideas. I believe we've all sat around a table, writing down potential solutions on sticky notes. Although not referred to services, I like to think that there's a more profound way to explore new ways of working, as Chihiro Nakao (Emiliani, Yoshino, and Go, 2015), a disciple of the Toyota philosophy, explains: it's called trystorming. By actively trying to implement an idea, we learn far more than we would through brainstorming alone. No matter the activity, my advice is to engage both your hands and your brain. Don't worry about making mistakes—learn from them, adjust, and keep going. It doesn't have to be perfect; progress comes from taking action. And keep in mind, as I mentioned earlier, that moving people depends on more sophisticated skills and requires intellect and creativity.

List of References

Pink, D. H., 2013. To Sell Is Human. Edinburgh: Canongate Books Ltd.

Thompson, B., Lowndes, S., 2023. Transformational Selling: How to adapt your sales style in the New World. New World Selling.

Peppers, D. and Rogers M. 2005. Return on customer. Broadway Books.

Emiliani, B., Yoshino, K., Go, R., 2015. Kaizen Forever: Teachings of Chihiro Nakao. Wethersfield: The Center for Lean Business Management, LLC.