Navigating Sales Technology

Before delving further, kindly regard this article as one individual's perspective. My intention is not to detract from those who rely on IT equipment to facilitate their learning or professional responsibilities.

Tech which helps people is a very very good thing.

However, IT tools in sales which are gaining traction I feel are now often misused, and frankly, their utility is questionable despite users' perceptions.

To provide context. It's not that these tools lack merit; indeed, they boast impressive functionalities such as:

• Enabling mass emailing.
• Tracking talk time to gauge conversational balance.
• Monitoring email opens and link clicks.
• Facilitating bulk personalized emails that convey authenticity and technical prowess.

And the list goes on...

These tools offer numerous advantages, aiding many individuals. It's great to witness startups leveraging these tools to bolster their visibility and, pardon the cliché, "get their foot in the door."

However, my concern lies in the recipients' response to indiscriminate email tactics and the misguided belief that inundating inboxes with a barrage of emails, enriched with AI-generated personal touches and hyperlinks, constitutes a job well done.

Admittedly, this article massively borders on hypocrisy, as I rely on Grammarly, a tool that assists with real-time grammatical corrections and spellchecks. And of course I use GPT to check my writing (oh why not). I don't always like what it offers but it always reads nicer and much posher than my efforts!

However (my favourite word today), we still need to hear our voice and not have this over-reliance on technology for guidance. We risk forfeiting our individuality, our essence, whether perceived as commendable or flawed. Not everyone will resonate with your style, voice, way of thinking, beliefs, or sales approach, but authenticity trumps all!

It may not yield immediate success either, and mistakes are inevitable, particularly when engaging with individuals who lack the patience to appreciate your learning curve.

And look, so what if you stumble? At least you tried and in my experience, you'll learn more from doing it this way. Oh, and don't add errors in your AI-driven mass emails to fake authenticity—tut, tut!

Let's go back and revisit those four strengths of high-volume emails:

1. Emailing masses of people—is feasible but consider that your recipients are receiving similar sales pitches daily, and on mass! Ensure your communications are apt, pertinent, well-timed, and thoroughly researched, but please consider deleting the hope that a five-email sequence spanning two weeks will strike a chord. Instead, invest time in understanding their needs and whether they align with your offerings. Is your product the right solution and the right fit?
2. Monitoring talk time—I find this feature intriguing. Yet, when does a machine accurately know whether you're taking over the conversation or not? I've cringed during some Zoom calls witnessing salespeople bombarding prospects with open-ended queries; it reeks of insincerity. Maybe it's the way some people do it I guess, it's again a dark art! Moreover, what if the recipient of your Q&A tactics is having a bad day or isn't in a talky mood? My point is if you seek to improve your conversational skills, stop texting and perusing through reels on social media (I know we all do it!) and work more on engaging in genuine chit chat instead. Practice makes perfect.
3. Tracking email engagement— a valuable metric indicating to some degree interest or curiosity. However, don't be misled by email open rates; maintain consistency in subsequent follow-ups, whether via phone or email. And given that text, at an early stage constitutes your sole mode of interaction, inject lots of legitimacy like a video introduction, perhaps. There are loads of great tools out there. Trust, paramount in sales, hinges on authenticity.

• Personalized bulk emails— Despite their appeal, the efficacy of mass emails remains dubious in my experience. For startups aiming to establish their brand, precision is paramount. I don't want to kibosh their ability and brilliance either, some of them do help businesses grow. However, it also helps if you have a great product and you do it right!

Above all, never capitulate. Don't be afraid to be yourself. If there's one thing I've learnt in sales it's that you're never going to be everyone's cup of tea, but, some people out there will like and align with your style. And, if they don't, and ignoring you and your communications is consistent, seek advice from peers who do it right (learn and watch top performers) or your line manager. If they're worth their salt they'll personalize your development needs and find ways to make you feel better.

Oh, and get ready to brace yourself for cheesy sales lines and conflicting advice on achieving sales greatness— just go with what resonates with you, but don't shy away from asserting your authenticity.

And finally smile, after all, as Spike reminded us

So, just: Be You. Work Hard. Give It Your All.

Stay Happy and Resilient—there'll be highs and lows, but it's during the low times that true growth happens.