Modern Seller's Reality of Technology and Automation

The sales game is one of the most competitive fields in the professional world. In the past, competition was only amongst sales reps and each other. Now, on the other hand, some people feel like the competition has shifted from sales reps against one another, to being against them and technology. So, to further explore the current position of sellers, we have gathered some information about the struggles they face, as well as the updates in marketing technology.

The Challenges Are Different

The way technology advanced has not only resulted in solutions for old problems, but because there are two sides to every coin, it has resulted in the creation of new challenges as well. The jarring pace of the modern life has caused people to develop shorter attention spans and less tolerance to accept new things. Meaning, once a seller gets hold of an individual, they are most likely to have a limited amount of time to pitch their product before the person's window of attentiveness shuts. Not to mention, most things normally sell themselves since we have online stores and many ways to advertise products freely. The need for someone to physically, or verbally, market and sell a product has diminished greatly; most people want information in a fast and direct way.

Technology isn't all bad either

Because of the drastic changes triggered by technological advancements, it is a fact that sales representatives cannot approach people with the same ways, and ease, as before. Companies need to train their sales reps to be extremely efficient when communicating with people. Fortunately, it has become an easier task now that we have sales enablement software that help keep a salesperson primed and ready to make sales. While grabbing someone's attention through e-mail can be hard at first, you can always use the help of email tracking software to help you target potential customers more efficiently.

What about full-automation?

One of the things people fear most when it comes to technology is being replaced by it. No one likes the possibility of a machine taking their place. However, when it comes to sellers, there is no need to fear that possibility. While chatbots can pitch ideas and respond to questions, they can't replicate the way a human responds to the same variables. For example, AI can't feel emotions which means they can't appeal to them during sales. Not to mention, they can't pick-up on sound tones and can't bond with people based on experience.

So, while a chatbot can answer basic questions, they can't completely and effectively sell a product. Taking into consideration what has been mentioned above, the reality of the sales process during the age of technology seems to be clear. While technology has created some challenges for sales reps, it has also created solutions. Furthermore, technology has created ways for sales people to better perform their jobs, and for managers to monitor their employees' progress. Finally, it can be safely said that machines aren't going to replace human sales reps anytime soon.