Free Stuff Alert
It’s rare for me to promote another author or consultant,
but I feel this is something you would not want to miss.
I have recommended Justin Rolf-Marsh’s book, The Machine: A radical approach to the design of the sales function, to dozens of clients. Why? Because it questions some of the very foundations of the way those of us in sales think about the process.
The concept of an outside salesperson has been around for eons. We could point to the old traveling peddlers making their way cross-country with a wagon load of supplies or railroad riding sellers getting off at each whistle stop to hock their wares, but instead, let us skip forward to more modern times.
The sales teams of distributors in my first year in this industry, some 40 odd years ago, followed this simple process:
The outside salesperson tooled around in shiny 1975 Ford LTDs or Oldsmobile Delta 88s dropping in on customers presenting features and benefits of new products and occasionally solving a problem. When time allowed, they stopped at some promising looking facility and made a cold call.
While there have been major changes in technology, communications, customer trends, and company car trunk sizes, the sales process (if you can call it that) remains the same.
Rolf-Marsh takes a different approach. An approach I feel needs to be considered, and an approach at least a handful of distributors have embraced. Over the past four years or so, I have advised my clients to read this book. Specifically, I have recommended they read chapters 1-4 and 7. Most have read the entire book, and we have discussed how such a plan may or may not work in their business.
Justin has just posted an opportunity for you to get the first four chapters free. Here is the download link:
https://info.ballistix.com/sampler-request-nwnm-dofs
What next? Well, once you have read it, I would like to hear your thoughts. I will provide feedback, play devil’s advocate, and share my own thoughts with you. No Charge, No Obligation. I just want to hear your ideas.
Predicting the future
I have been devoting a lot of thought to how life will work in post-Pandemic times. We have outlined the impact of flex-work on customers, distributors, and supply partners. There are four things I am certain of in the coming months:
• The future for distributors will not be a repeat of 2021.
• The cost of an outside salesperson maintaining customer relationships via car will continue to grow.
• Most will finally realize that cold-call type prospecting is unsuccessful, unsustainable, and unaffordable.
• Successful distributors will figure out a new and better way of doing things, the rest will enjoy a lesson in downward mobility.
Coming soon
Industry research indicates extraordinary post-Pandemic interest in two areas important to many of our readers: robotics and safety. Our next installment tied to selling in the new normal will cover the steps needed to move toward success in these areas.
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