Every single year jobs that have been a staple to the economy fizzle out and are replaced by new careers and roles.
Lamplighters, pinsetters, human alarm
clocks and switchboard operators were all roles that occupied many people in
years gone by and yet have all vanished over time due to technological advances
and other changes in the economy.
With the advances in technology in marketing and lead generation it can be very
worrying for sales people as it is these technological advances that help to
take over some of our daily tasks and can render us useless.
Or can they?
The one constant that has always remained in UK is the role of the sales
person. In fact, history has been filled with great sales people. From the
beginning of time sales have occurred; a transaction between an acre of corn
and three cows may have been common practice back in the very early days of human
kind.
Even as we move into the industrial revolution between the 1700’s and 1800’s, sales people (or salesman as they were known back then) would help forge transactions and sales between anything – including snake-oil, an all-round potion that would cure pains and aches of anyone that rubbed it on themselves.
Throughout history sales people have helped
to shape our economy and buying trends. Sales people have been very monumental
towards some of the biggest transactions in our life time; pretty much
everything around you right now has been sold at some stage in its life. From
the plastic used on the keyboard on your desk to the cup you are drinking your
tea or coffee out of. Everything has, at some stage, been sold by someone.
So when I hear that technology is going to rid the word of sales people I have
to scoff slightly. Sales people will never die out; but what we sell, and how
we sell it will change – but that is all. I guess working sales is perfect in
that sense; we can move on to the next best thing and sell that. After all; who
is going to sell all those robots that are being made to steal our jobs?
Digital lead generation should be seen as an addition to our role, and an extra tool to help us sell. A business cannot rely on digital lead generation to sell everything and anything. Sometimes you need someone to push a sale along and use genuine emotion to invoke a reaction.
Even automated telephone calls are YEARS away from getting to a point that will EVER lead to a sale. I wrote recently about how I received a robot call; it was believable upon first hearing, and has potential to work but once again, do you know what was missing? Emotion. Emotion is the biggest sales tool going and I as the potential buyer had no emotional connection with the robot on the phone so it was easy to hang up, and to lie to.
If you are considering taking up a role in sales, or work in sales and you worry about the longevity of your career; do not panic. Your skills are very much safe. Sure, you may have to adapt, evolve or move on to ensure you do not get left behind but there will always be something worth selling.
There will always be consumer and customers.
There will always be a need for sales people.
Paragon Sales Solutions are Leicester’s leading sales consultants, offering:
– Sales Contracts
– Sales Training
– Social Media Management
– B2B Telesales / Telemarketing
We cater for any size business, and what makes us stand out is that we truly care. Our services can be catered for your business and our sales professionals will work tirelessly to ensure your sales targets are met. Be sure to visit our website for more details on how our sales solutions can help your business.