The Future of the Sales Profession () von Graham Hawkins

Foreword

Introduction: Times Are Changing

• The dawn of a new era...
• A bleak future for sales professionals
• How you can leverage the new realities of sales
• A call to action

Part 1: A Brief History of the Sales Profession

Chapter 1: 130 Years On Repeat

• 1800s: Rise of the snake oil salesman
• 1880s: Birth of the modern sales force
• 1900s: Backlash against sales fraud
• 1930s: The rise of selling methodologies
• 1940s and 50s: The age of acronyms
• 1960s: Needs Satisfaction Selling
• 1980s: SPIN Selling
• 2000s: Solution selling
• Today

Part 2: The New Realities of Sales

Chapter 2: Sales Is Not What It Used To Be

Chapter 3: The Technology Revolution

• Why this time is different
• But this won't affect sales people...or will it?
• 95% of sales people will be replaced by AI within 20 years

Chapter 4: Changing Customer Values

• The demise of the personal relationship
• What do buyers value instead?
• The lesson: Customers no longer want a relationship with you

Chapter 5: Western Markets Are Hitting Maturity

• The industry lifecycle
• How the state of the market affects your sales

Chapter 6: The Increasing (Relative) Cost of B2B Sales People

• The alternatives
• Why would any business employ a sales force in the future?

Chapter 7: The Eroding Role of the B2B Sales Person

• What will the future of sales hold?

Part 3: How You Can Thrive as a Sales Professional

Chapter 8: Becoming an A-Grade Sales Person

• How to become an A-Grader

Chapter 9: Step 1 - Set Your Career Direction

1. Reconcile your conflicting priorities
2. Set your long-term goal
3. Assess your current position
4. Analyse the gap
5. Educate yourself

Chapter 10: Step 2 - Select Your Area of Specialisation

• Pursuing your passion
• Potential for future growth
• What your customers value
• Specialisation is a journey

Chapter 11: Step 3 - Develop Commercial Insights

• The customer value of commercial insights
• The vendor value of commercial insights
• How to develop insights
• Stop thinking of yourself as a sales person

Chapter 12: Step 4 - Cultivate Your Personal Brand

• The power of personal branding
• Your authentic self
• Your unique promise of value
• Your brand profile
• Your personal brand audit

Chapter 13: Step 5 - Identify Customer Connection Channels

• The power of social selling
• Choosing the right channels
• 5 tips to leverage your channels effectively
• Remember: It's about building relationships

Conclusion: What Lies Ahead?

• The changing role of the B2B sales person

Acknowledgements

SalesTribe

About the Author