The closet is full, BUT I have nothing to wear! - The sale

SALES has changed significantly. Where companies used to determine what the customer should buy, today's customer can decide for themselves where, when, and at what price to make a purchase. What are the consequences for companies?

By Daniel Enz, President of the GSA German Speakers Association Switzerland King = Customer? Just about 40 years ago, in the post-war period, we observed strong consumer demand in many markets. Cars, televisions, kitchen appliances, luxury clothing: many things became fashionable and found buyers rapidly. This period is also referred to as the boom years of sales, the seller's years, or the seller's market. The demand exceeded the supply, and customers flocked to businesses. Companies decided on price, color, features, and the customer had the choice to take it or leave it. So, they took it, eagerly! Even if the salesperson smelled bad, treated customers poorly, or smoked cigars during conversations, the cash register still rang. Was the customer really king? Probably it was the companies. But the tables have turned. Don’t hate the player – hate the game! With the relocation of many production facilities abroad in the early 1980s and the fact that Company A acquired Companies B, C, and D, and thanks to new technologies, companies suddenly could produce more goods in the same or even less time. This, in turn, led to lower prices and the ability to offer even more. The consumer party started and continues to this day. Therefore, we now refer to it as a buyer's market. The supply is greater than the demand. This market saturation led to total sensory overload and elevated the customer to the next level, that of the emperor. Today, the customer alone decides where, when, and even at what price to buy. The internet has made this marketplace even more colorful and significantly amplified the effect. Despite full closets, you can still hear from some bedrooms: "Honey, I have nothing to wear." Meanwhile, in the executive suites of companies, alarm bells are ringing. Market share and revenues are declining, competition is copying cheaper and faster, and customers are buying online with a click of a mouse. Somewhere. Just not with us, as recently reported even in the Swiss tabloid newspaper BLICK. Headline: "How retailers protect themselves from consultation thieves!" The fact that companies themselves sowed the seeds for this predicament and watered them generously is, of course, ignored. Don’t hate the player – hate the game! The 6 Pillars for Successful Sales Well, when you're up to your neck in water, you shouldn't hang your head. A complete overhaul and training of the sales staff are needed! The companies' desire to go "back to the roots," focusing on the old school of sales and putting people at the center, has become a highly complex process. The keyword is: building trust. Find online, bind offline – that's the motto. In order to aim for a long-term, sustainable solution, a clear assessment of various departments is needed because the often-requested two-day sales training on closing techniques does not bring the desired long-term success. But what is actually needed? The following 6 pillars are necessary for today's sales to actually work. Companies need: 1. A product/service with a clear benefit and added value for customers 2. Clarity about their own values, target audience(s), and positioning 3. internal guidelines, processes, and IT tools 4. consistent communication across all channels, online and offline 5. sales personalities with the right mindset 6. salespeople with sales skills. Decisive (or enthusiastic) leaders are needed for points 1–4. The better the groundwork is done, the easier it is for salespeople in the market. But they also need to change their mindset. They need to understand that today's challenges are significantly greater, but the internet also offers new opportunities. They must stop complaining about things (points 1-4) that they can only partially influence. Instead, good salespeople recognize that they should work on improving their sales personality and sales techniques because they can consciously change them from one day to the next. Exemplary companies support these two pillars by raising awareness and training their salespeople on the topic, whether internally or externally.