Teaching salespeople what to say and how to handle objections in selling situations with the intention to make a sale has created the relationship that now exists between salespeople and consumers. Most consumers today do not believe, trust or even want to talk to salespeople. The latest studies show most consumers believe salespeople’s main concern is the transaction, aka “closing sales” and this causes comnsumers to avoid salespeople.
To “close” more sales today, and in the future, we need a fundamental shift in business leaders, sales management and salespeople’s intentions. Without this shift in intentions no amount of sales skills or training will make enough difference to increase revenue or profits and improve your business. Sales training needs a fundamental shift from teaching sales as something you do, like digging a ditch, to something that’s done with people. Selling isn’t something you do to people but something that happens between people when the right intentions exist.
Sales communication isn’t one way communication or a presentation but has to be a dialogue between people to help the consumer not to “close” the sale. This cannot happen with the business and sales intentions that exist today. Today businesses send their salespeople out to make sales and sales trainers teach salespeople how to overcome objections to close sales. The intention to make a sale stops all dialogue or two way communication before it can begin. Even when salespeople are armed with a series of questions to uncover the needs, wants and desires of the consumer because they won’t open up and share with someone whose intention is to make a sale.
Traditional sales training falls short because it leaves out how the consumer communicates with salespeople and what motivates them to engage salespeople. We have a standoff today because no matter what you try to say to a consumer, if they won’t open up and participate in the sales process, everyone loses, especially the consumer and fewer sales are “closed”. Sales training has to teach and change more than what a salesperson says to a consumer.
New intentions training is needed to change the dysfunctional relationship between salespeople and consumers. Teaching leadership, sales management and salespeople new sales intentions will change the communication with the consumer at a non-verbal level. Only then will consumers begin to trust salespeople, open up, share and allow salespeople to better serve them and more sales will be, “closed”.
We are at a critical point in the consumer and salesperson relationship. To make a positive change, training should include executives, sales management and salespeople, who all need new intentions to change the communication with consumers, heal this relationship and see an increase in sales as a result. If this dosen’t happen soon more businesses will fail and more economic turmoil will take place.
More training is definitely needed but not more of the same that helped create the consumer and salesperson relationship that exists today. Traditional sales training won’t get the ROI needed to motivate businesses to invest and keep investing to get real results.
By Mike Moore
MAKING CUSTOMERS 
Mike what a great post, thank you for explaining about the important mentality about “selling” to a consumer before understanding the consumer. In my everyday world as a Home Design professional and Blogger, I find before I even try to sell my service, I first come to find out why they aren’t happy with their current situation. Often times the solution comes in finding out about the person or helping them solve everyday issues that they can’t wrap their hands around. I find if you start here, as opposed to sealing the deal and getting money in your pocket first, the rewards on both sides are more fruitful. While its always nice to receive money in your pocket, Ive noticed a customer will be more generous and you will feel better about yourself if you take the time and understand the person first!