"No, not I, I will survive" ... but will you?

Today I share why only strategic, consultative sellers will survive and thrive in B2B selling for 2024 and beyond.

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Hello Reader

Gloria Gaynor's iconic tune is the theme of this week's message. Specifically, I'm asking the question: Is your role in B2B sales dead?

In 2012, Andy Hoar and his team at Forrester Research predicted that the world of B2B sales would be transformed in the following decade. They predicted the ​Death of a (B2B) Salesman (click to read more).

In summary, the core of their idea was that transactional order takers (simple offers for buyers of non-complex requirements) would be replaced by e-commerce, and demand for these roles would reduce by 33% by 2020.

In the same timeframe, the role of so-called Navigators would be replaced by AI-powered web bots, and "Explainers" would be replaced by asynchronous video content for the “YouTube” generation. The demand for each role would reduce by 15% and 25%, respectively.

Only the consultant sales roles were predicted to see an increase in demand over the same period (+10%).

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That was then, and this is now. What's happened since?

Well, frankly, a lot has happened in the decade since this work was first completed, and the impact of this has only reinforced the message of 2012!

Here are some of the biggest changes I have witnessed:

1. The COVID-19 global pandemic changed the face of B2B sales, as "relationship-only" sellers (who needed to buy lunch, dinner and golf for prospects) were replaced very quickly by shorter, virtual meetings and a greater focus on value. This has not reset since we returned to the workplace.
2. Buyers of complex B2B solutions, empowered by readily available information, have become more sophisticated since 2012. They engage later, are more informed and expect more from the salespeople they engage with. Buyers expect greater levels of personalisation, with answers tailored to their specific goals and objectives and quantified ROI for the outcomes promised.
3. Organisational decision-making has become increasingly collaborative, involving multiple stakeholders with diverse priorities and perspectives. The fear of messing up (FOMU) increases friction late in the buying process, and the pressure on budgets brings greater scrutiny to procurement requests.
4. AI-driven bots and tools are more frequently involved in simple procurements. They are constantly improving in accuracy and sophistication, enabling simple tasks to be easily replaced at a much-reduced cost compared to the average cost of a B2B seller.

Life is getting tougher for a B2B salesperson who relies on "old-school" transactional sales techniques.

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What does this mean for selling in 2024, and will your role survive?

If you are not a consultative seller, you should be afraid and petrified about your future in the profession.

Your traditional skills just won't cut it going forward, as the demand for these skills will continue to decline. Sorry to be so blunt, but the sooner you realise it, the faster you can adapt.

Strategic sellers (consultants in Forrester's definition) have moved on to embrace value selling; the rest have not!

What will you choose?

There are some things you would benefit from:

1. You need a different set of skills and capabilities. Strategic selling competencies are different and more involved than traditional job descriptions.
2. You need to change your attitude, mindset and beliefs to accommodate the new world in which you are trying to compete and win.
3. You need a different sales process; one that rewards advancement and patience over pure velocity.
4. You need to understand your value proposition for a specific customer and be able to quantify the impact your new approach can bring to their outcomes.

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The roles of Strategic Sales/Business Development, Account Managers, and Sales Managers each have unique competency requirements. What is essential for one role is different from the others.

Do you know what it will take to succeed?

To learn more about the competencies for each role, get a one page summary of the ​Strategic Sales Competency Framework by clicking the link.

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Until next time.

Best, Garry Mansfield | Linkedin​

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