The modern buyer's journey looks nothing like it did when I was growing up. Sure, the stages are the same, but the ...

If You Want To Sell More, Ditch The Sales Pitch in Favor of 'Authentic Conversations' By John Becker, Tuesday, March 1, 2022 7:30 AM The modern buyer's journey looks nothing like it did when I was growing up. Sure, the stages are the same, but the process itself has been revolutionized. Streamlined in some ways, stretched out in others. Utterly altered from start to finish.  Or, scratch that — maybe it hasn't been altered from start to finish. For many customers, once they start speaking to a salesperson, they might as well be back in 1995.   As the internet and social media were fundamentally upending the way we buy over the last 20 years, sales teams have held steady.  When we think of how far marketing has come in the digital age, it's hard not to notice how little sales seems to have changed. There are a lot of old-school sales reps hanging on to old-school tactics, resisting adaptation. In an era when 87% of all purchases begin with an internet search, the sales process looks much the same as it did before the internet changed everything.  Brent Keltner, president of Winalytics, sums it up bluntly: "Sales is a broken profession," he says.  "Sales training has evolved very little in 50 years. There's a focus on product training and methodology training, but no focus on having authentic, fluid conversations with buyers." And this is a problem.  In Keltner's new book The Revenue Acceleration Playbook, he outlines a path forward for sales teams to switch from product-driven selling to authentic conversations — something he and his colleagues offer training and coaching to support.  Instead of an "always be closing," win-on-my-terms sales methodology, Keltner advocates for what he calls a "mutual process" that brings seller and buyer together. Beyond providing a better customer experience, his approach yields higher close rates and higher account values as well.  It's selling for the digital age.  Below, we'll explain exactly why sales seems to be stuck in the past, and how you can smoothly transition to better serve your buyers. We'll cover: The problem with the modern sales process. A better way to think about selling. Putting these techniques into practice. Let's dive in. Read more »     Schedule a call with an advisor → Join IMPACT+ for free → If You Want To Sell More, Ditch The Sales Pitch in Favor of 'Authentic Conversations' By John Becker The modern buyer's journey looks nothing like it did when I was growing up. Sure, the stages are the same, but the process itself has been revolutionized. Streamlined in some ways, stretched out in others. Utterly altered from start to finish.  Or, scratch that — maybe it hasn't been altered from start to finish. For many customers, once they start speaking to a salesperson, they might as well be back in 1995.   As the internet and social media were fundamentally upending the way we buy over the last 20 years, sales teams have held steady.  When we think of how far marketing has come in the digital age, it's hard not to notice how little sales seems to have changed. There are a lot of old-school sales reps hanging on to old-school tactics, resisting adaptation. In an era when 87% of all purchases begin with an internet search, the sales process looks much the same as it did before the internet changed everything.  Brent Keltner, president of Winalytics, sums it up bluntly: "Sales is a broken profession," he says.  "Sales training has evolved very little in 50 years. There's a focus on product training and methodology training, but no focus on having authentic, fluid conversations with buyers." And this is a problem.  In Keltner's new book The Revenue Acceleration Playbook, he outlines a path forward for sales teams to switch from product-driven selling to authentic conversations — something he and his colleagues offer training and coaching to support.  Instead of an "always be closing," win-on-my-terms sales methodology, Keltner advocates for what he calls a "mutual process" that brings seller and buyer together. Beyond providing a better customer experience, his approach yields higher close rates and higher account values as well.  It's selling for the digital age.  Below, we'll explain exactly why sales seems to be stuck in the past, and how you can smoothly transition to better serve your buyers. We'll cover: The problem with the modern sales process. A better way to think about selling. Putting these techniques into practice. Let's dive in. 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