We all know that ‘The Great Recession’ changed everything. But how did it affect the world of sales in particular? Let’s investigate…
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Get ready to breathe a sigh of relief. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research predicted in May that the UK economy “will grow by 2.9 per cent in 2014 and 2.4 per cent in 2015”. What does this mean? Well, in the words of Forbes contributor John S. Tobey: “The Great Recession is now behind us.”
But while economies across the world slowly recover, the effects of the recession linger on in many industries – and no more so than in the world of sales.
Just ask Leigh Ashton, author of “iSell” and speaker, trainer and coach for The Sales Consultancy. More than most, Leigh understands the seismic impact the recession has had on sales. For one, it exposed an inherent weakness that had been lying dormant for years.
Changing Attitude to Sales
“During the previous boom, the sales often rolled in anyway,” argues Leigh, before noting how the recession put an end to that. “Suddenly those sales dried up and those without the necessary skills and attitudes were found wanting. It became clear that during the boom years they hadn’t been doing much actual selling and the cruel truth is that many were merely order-taking. Companies both large and small had to change their outlook to selling. The art of selling had moved on. Good sales people aren’t now ‘gift of the gab’ types that might have worked in a bygone age. Now, in a social-media driven era, it’s about trust, support, building relationships, multiple stakeholders and better-informed buyers. Companies are slowly but surely coming to terms with the requirements of a modern sales person.”
And the need for this gradual shift highlights the key effect of the recession: achieving sales targets had become incredibly difficult.
“In terms of sales targets, the main issue was the mismatch between what the corporate budgets dictated the targets should be to what was now realistic in collapsing market conditions,” reveals Leigh. “The result being that many sales people were issued with targets that were totally unrealistic [and became] demotivated as they knew they couldn’t ever hit the target. Performance suffered even more. It brought into focus the conflicts that can arise between what the accountants have decided needs to be achieved and what is a realistic, yet challenging target, with appropriate rewards, that will motivate a sales person to perform.”
New Breed of Salespeople
As such, the recession has actually precipitated a change in the world of recruitment and training. Or at least changed the qualities that companies look for in a sales person…
“I think it’s speeded up the need for a different ‘person spec’ in sales,” explains Leigh. “With technology impacting on both the buyer and seller experience and process, sales people need to be a different breed altogether from 20 years ago. Now, the ability to build a two-way relationship is paramount, as are advanced listening skills, rapport-building skills and an appreciation of the role that psychology plays in sales. That’s the psychology of themselves and how to overcome their barriers to maximise their own performance. And having a thorough interpretation of the psychology of the potential customer where they can, even in short conversations, interpret the traits of the buyer and make that work for both the buyer and seller.”
So yes, the recession may be over, but its effects live on. For one, it’s created the need for a whole new breed of sales people. If you’re ready to take on a career in sales, make sure you check out our latest vacancies or register for Jobs by Email.
