The Fading Face of Sales

When you think of traditional sales, you might envision a man or woman dressed in a suit, briefcase in hand, going door-to-door or calling on a business, looking for a sale.  First impressions were everything traditionally, since most sales were conducted in person, face-to-face. A salesperson’s clothing, hairstyle, accessories and handshake could make or break a first impression. How a salesperson looked, smiled and shook hands could often determine the success of a sales call.

On a more personal basis, salespeople waited patiently or approached customers in stores to offer help or find merchandise. If a customer needed something, they would go to a store, make a selection, pay and go. All these sales were made in person. If you shopped at a store often enough, you got to know the salespeople. They became your friends, almost part of the family.

The traditional salesperson is quickly becoming a thing of the past, says Dr. James Oldroyd, one of the top researchers on the mathematics of selling in the world. The article, “Selling Face To Face Is Becoming Obsolete,” reports from his research that the demand for inside sales people is growing 15 times faster than the more traditional outside salesperson. Why the shift? The Internet, online shopping, QVC, and the Smartphone. Oldroyd’s study showed that salespeople are shifting from face-to-face conversations to making sales calls by phone. Need to reach someone? Call their cell. It’s becoming as common an accessory as a wallet and car keys. 

While a good physical presence and firm handshake were essential to get a job in sales, a different set of skills are important for inside sales. Salespeople have to be subject-matter experts. Having a pleasant phone voice is still important. To connect with customers you have to be a master at email, texting, social media and web conferencing. You have to be able to switch from a phone call to text messaging, to posting on Facebook and logging into Skype, a Google+ Hangout, or Facetime. What’s more, sales people have to be online, monitoring messages from customers who have many ways to communicate.

Job seekers looking for a sales position need to take a second look at their resumes. Ten years of sales experience won’t be as important as Internet and social media savvy in this job market. Years of sales training may not give you the edge, either. The article points out that 90 percent of traditional sales training assumes face-to-face meetings. Dressing for success, a firm handshake and effective body language don’t come through on a phone call, text message, Facebook post or Tweet. Expressing emotion takes an understanding of social media and the rules and tools of each. Voice tone and a smile on your face will affect how friendly you sound over the phone. You’ll need to know how to “set the stage” for your videoconference, since a customer can see you and whatever’s in the background. 

The shift is real. The ease of technology will force fewer sales meetings over lunch or dinner with drinks at a pricey restaurant. Who has the time? No need to deliver sales contracts samples when it’s easier over email or the Internet. The UPS or FedEx delivery person may see more of your clients than you do. Screen-to-screen is replacing face-to-face, and you’ll need to master new sales tools to stay in the game.

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