After my quite disappointing experience with a telephone salesman this morning I’ve been rethinking how the way we do business, buying and selling, has completely changed thanks to the ease of modern communication.
It used to be that the big business deals were made over lunch, or on the golf course, but now almost all trade is done on recommendation or through some social communication.
This morning I was sold ‘at’ over the phone. At lunchtime I met with a guy who had sold to me, and also built a friendship at the same time – this wasn’t a quick process, it was done over time and there was lots of opportunity for me to think through decisions, ask for more information and get to know the people involved. It fitted with the way that I would buy almost anything else today – I read reviews on Amazon, when I book a hotel room I read reviews by other guests before staying there, most of the books and blogs I read and podcasts I listen to, I came by because of the recommendation of other people.
I guess we’ve always been influenced by the personal recommendations of our family / friends etc, but now we have easy access to more testimony than almost ever before. The first reaction to doing business with anyone today is probably to Google them and find out who they are before any decision is made to work with them. Of course, meeting them in person is one step better.
And, of course, nobody in the company is above personal selling.