Sales 3.0 is a Myth

Recently there have been discussions online about “Sales 3.0” and what that looks like. Nothing has been very compelling and I’ll be the first to say that for the most part it’s is a bunch of smoke and mirrors. One article focused on broader and richer skill sets and the other defined Sales 3.0 as “Sales 1.0 (timeless principles and skill sets) + Sales 2.0 (technological tools and enablers).” The best idea about Sales 3.0 comes from SellingPower’s blog where they draw the lines between recent innovations and how sales will benefit from technology.

Today, the name "Sales 2.0" is a bit of a buzz term. It's how we identify the paradigm shift from historical sales methodologies to an incorporation of new-age tools such as the internet (which isn't so new anymore), SaaS applications that provide sales intelligence and websites that provide information on companies and prospects. The name sticks because it makes sales leaders notice the fact that things have changed—and that they ought to change, too.

Most sales professionals are well aware of this change and management is beginning to get the memo. Based on a study by SirusDecisions, 70% of the decisions made by customers happen online. Social networks play a major role in a customers’ buying decisions, and peers and trusted advisors are becoming the new sales person. Take, for example, a recent study that stated: “recommendations from family and friends trump all other consumer touchpoints when it comes to influencing purchases” (ZenithOptimedia). Sales people that have started adopting Sales 2.0 strategies have already started seeing the benefits. Good sales people are learning to leverage sales 2.0 tools because they know that “Inner circle trumps at decision time: 58% of Americans say that people that they know well and trust are the most important single factor in the final decision on major purchases” (GfK Group).

Sales data providers account for only a small part of the equation now when it comes to driving revenue in B2B sales environments. Data in a contact list is a commodity that needs to be put into an actionable format and leveraged with Sales 2.0 tools.

Sales 3.0 is a myth

I strongly believe that Sales 2.0 tools have transformed the way we find prospects and engage with people everyday. Sales intelligence applications have changed the sales landscape much the same way that the Bloomberg Terminal changed Wall Street. Does this mean that we now have Stock Trader 3.0? No. But we do have smarter traders who can analyze data much faster and make better, more informed decisions. The same is true for sales professionals. With a flood of information available, Sales 2.0 technologies enable sales people to aggregate, funnel and structure information. With relevant data brought to the point of need, sales professionals can make quicker, better decisions and, ultimately, drive more revenue.

Lets start with the current ideas about what Web 3.0 is and draw a line from that. One leading thought on Web 3.0, by Conrad Wolfram, is that "the computer is generating new information," rather than humans. Sales people are not software. It would be e-commerce if that were the truth. Upgrading the number to 3.0 doesn't do anyone any justice. Nevertheless, there will be a new stage for sales people that goes beyond Sales 2.0.

What is the next stage for sales?

The new sales professional will be a revenue-generating machine. In the next phase we will see a much more structured alignment—if not an identifiable overlap—with marketing and content creation. The lines between sales and marketing will eventually blur to the point that most will not be able to distinguish aside from the fact that sales will still be making the calls and asking for the order. All communications will be highly targeted and held on multiple platforms.

This sales and marketing alignment will enable the company message to be broadcasted exponentially, the only limitation being the size of the sales persons network. Sales teams should integrate their LinkedIn profiles with the company Twitter feed and push messaging out to their professional connections in a way that invites conversations. Sales persons should spend more time engaging people online rather than digging through outdated leads. The easiest way to do this will be for sales teams to start conversations in places like Focus.com or LinkedIn groups, enabling them to grow their reach and build their personal brand. I’ve even seen sales people starting their own groups online that foster a community and are filled with members that can be prospects and influencers.

The next evolution of professional sales will be focused on engaging prospects where they reside, not waiting for a lead to come into the system.

Emphasis will still be held on customer needs and how sales people can help them through a buying cycle. Sales people who haven’t yet mastered the art of delivering great customer service should go back to Sales 1.0. Without a solid foundation of the basic principles of Sales 1.0, no level of technology or marketing alignment will help. Sales 2.0—and Sales 3.0, for that matter—cannot replace Sales 1.0.  

Social Selling incorporates traditional sales methods and is going to be the focus for the next year or more. Companies have already started seeing a boost in revenue by leveraging sales intelligence and perceiving sales data as a commodity. Don’t leave money on the table; virtually every industry can leverage social media in some way -- but don’t buy into the hype of Sales 3.0.