Scudder and Epstein on Sales – My Take

In episode 19 of their podcast DUALSOURCE DISCOURSE, the dynamic duo of the virtual airwaves, Sarah Scudder and Dr. Elouise Epstein discussed “salespeople.” Click on the link above to access the original post and the segment.

In the meantime, here is the comment I left on the segment’s LinkedIn discussion screen:

• Regarding salespeople, here is an excerpt from a recent post:

• Providers are selling to hit numbers versus engaging prospective clients to solve “real” problems.

• Providers waste a good deal of money to get on Quadrants, push out infomercial content, and try to get on maps.

• After 40-plus years, I say this with the deepest sincerity – 90% of salespeople aren’t worth the gum stuck on the bottom of a shoe.

Of course, it takes two to tango:

• Practitioners are generally blinded by the shiny papers that are Quadrants, informational content, and solution maps—a hangover from the old days when everyone believed “no one ever got fired for buying IBM”

• As a result, practitioners often overlook the hidden gems of experienced and expert solution providers who actually have real case studies versus pie-in-the-sky creative writing promises funded by carpetbagger VCs and investors.

• Practitioners who don’t follow up properly with client references, case studies, and progress reports—I will have to tell you one day about the Multnomah County story from 2005 and how their vigilance in following up on a big player’s client reference likely saved them millions of dollars.

Corresponding video of an actual case study – Sales Stories for Providers and Practitioners (Don’t Sell – ASK & LISTEN)

Of course, practitioners and providers must stop using an equation-based implementation model and start using an agent-based one. In short, they must solve problems rather than push the latest and greatest technology.

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