Our new columnist The Sales Mindset Coach Steve Knapp says SCR businesses must adapt to change – fast
Brexit has brought an unprecedented amount of uncertainty to the region and to the country.
And anyone that runs their own business knows there’s nothing worse in life than… you guessed it… uncertainty.
I would argue the situation is potentially far worse for great swathes of the Sheffield City Region as its traditional manufacturing sector is already incredibly vulnerable.
I know, because I’ve seen it first-hand.
I was the region’s main salesperson for Shell in the 1990s and dealt with scores of the area’s biggest manufacturing names.
It’s a situation that worries me deeply because many of these local firms with long histories are – often unknowingly – playing Russian Roulette with their futures.
So many of them are using outmoded selling techniques that are totally out of touch with the digital age. Research has shown that 57% of the buying decision is made online today and these firms are being left behind by their competition.
So many of these businesses are unprepared for sales, don’t research their target customers and don’t invest in their sales staff.
They are relying on the same sales strategies they were using when I was dealing with them nearly 30 years ago.
The upheaval of Brexit – and let’s face it, nobody really know what’s going to happen – could easily be the death knell for many of them.
Business owners must be continually open to change in their marketing and selling techniques as a matter of course.
They must stand out from their competitors, they must offer new ways to solve the problems of their target clients and they must have exemplary selling techniques.
I learnt my craft from the very bottom – selling Calor Gas cylinders door-to-door in the late 1980s – and was lucky enough to advance to the top, responsible for devising and implementing cutting edge strategies for Shell that were adopted right around the globe and still help maintain the company’s dominance today.
And I know there is nothing more important in a company’s sales plan than being ahead of your competition in your marketing.
You can read more about this in my Success Story feature on pages XXX – but for here and now my message is simple:
You have to be the very best. You have to invest in your staff. You have to be ahead of the competition.
I specialise in working with the region’s SMEs – companies that can implement change fast.
The same can’t be said for many of these bigger, traditional companies. In my talks I regularly talk about 10 common reasons a company isn’t selling. One of the key ones is outmoded selling and marketing techniques. This is the crux of the problem for many of these traditional manufacturing companies.
Their website, brochures and presentation materials haven’t been updated for years. They’ve still got a fax number on their material or a logo for Google+ – what does that say about them!?
They’re not using social media to research their customers.
They’re not excited about the products they sell and the problems they solve.
And if they’re not, why the heck should their potential customers be?
Steve Knapp
