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With the development of the Internet, social media, and the “new” relationship and solution selling techniques, there seems to be a belief out there that today’s salespeople are superior to those of the past. As you can probably gather from the title, I don’t necessarily agree. Here’s why.
Here are the key factors that give the old guard an advantage over the new guard:
- Preparation and Sales Skills
When my dad went for training at IBM in the early ’60s, it was primarily sales training. Yes, you learned the product too, but they made sure you knew everything about selling: getting through the gatekeeper to the decision maker, how to present your product, overcoming objections, closing, follow-up, and how to build solid, long-term relationships. Everything was scripted and you role played until you could recite everything verbatim if someone woke you from a sound sleep at three in the morning. They also covered the important basics such as how to dress, the right way to shake hands, and to pop a breath mint before a sales call while avoiding garlic during the workweek.
These days I am amazed by the lack of sales skills I run into on a daily basis. If I walk into almost any sales meeting and blurt out objections, stalls, and other prospect obstacles they have been running into every day for years, salespeople stall, stammer, and trip over their tongues as if it’s the first time they’re hearing what I’m throwing at them. I even give people objections during the interview just to see what their best, current response is to something simple like, “I can get it cheaper down the street.” If they’ve been in sales for any length of time, they’d better have a good, quick response to that one. Add to that the fact that many salespeople these days seem to be much more lax with dress, manners, and etiquette in general. Knowing how to sell, having a good handshake, and other “basics” should be common sense, but that common sense, which was common decades ago, is more the exception than the rule in today’s selling world.
- Dedication and Commitment
When it comes to dedication and commitment, you’re not going to beat the World War II Generation. They were also tough to beat when it came to living up to promises and their word. When you hired someone from that generation they understood that they had an obligation to the company, their boss, and their family for whom they needed to provide.
Regarding one of the biggest issues today — accountability: decades ago people were responsible enough to hold themselves accountable. My dad tracked his calls and kept a call sheet, but these were success tools as opposed to something his manager used to make sure he was doing what he was supposed to be doing. My dad’s generation would never consider fudging a call sheet or hiding out in a coffee shop or movie theatre when they were supposed to be out making calls. Yes, there were a few of those people back then but not many, and they weren’t employed with that company for very long.
When it came to another major issue, motivation, simply putting in an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay, along with taking care of the company, the customers, and one’s family, was all the motivation one needed. It didn’t matter how you felt on a given day, the question was about the obligation and commitment you signed up for.
That generation also brought character traits and a work ethic to the job that we rarely see these days. All of this comes back to the dedication and commitment they felt toward others and the obligation in knowing that if you’re taking a paycheck from someone, you owe them your best.
- Focus on People
The World War II Generation would never be accused of being the “me” generation. My dad was the number-one sales rep in New England for more than 30 years for IBM and Diebold Banking Equipment because, like most people of his generation, his objective was to help and serve other people. Decades ago I think there was much more of a focus on other people and more of a “the-customer-is-always-right” mentality. While many talk about past salespeople beating people up and having one more close than they had objection, I find that the best of the best have always sold the right way, with a focus on the other person. And by the way, there is no “new” relationship selling. Even 60 years ago, the best have always focused on the relationship and what’s best for the other person, thinking of themselves, their product, and their company second.
All of the above said, are there hard workers out there today who are committed? Yes. Also, social media, technology, and new sales ideas are tremendous tools to warm up cold calls, pinpoint prospect pains, and continue to connect and communicate effectively with prospects and customers. So although I’ll take the work ethic and character traits of someone from the World War II Generation using a car, pay phones, and keeping track of prospects on index cards, every day of the week and twice on Sunday, imagine the best of both worlds. Start with someone hungry, with a blue-collar mentality, and a thick skin who isn’t afraid to show up early, leave late, and pound the pavement making more calls than anyone else. Combine that with someone who cares about people, studies their craft and knows their product. Who practices, drills, and rehearses their presentation, answers to objections, closes, and anything and everything they’re likely to run into during the day. Finally, add knowledge of social media and technology, using it in a supporting role, in the background, and not as the foundation for their sales efforts. Yes, those people are out there. No, they are not easy to find. Time to get to work.
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