Episode Details

In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by COO of People.ai Art Harding. With twenty years of experience in the industry, he’s had plenty of practice overcoming B2B objections through digital transformations.

What is a digital transformation?

• Sure, it’s Uber and Netflix. But it is not solely a technology play; it’s reimagining the customer experience and using technology to facilitate those changes.
• Uber didn’t invent cars, apps, or driving strangers. They just combined those elements in a unique way to make something new.
• The classic go-to-market functions had relatively siloed expectations. Marketing was responsible for branding; sellers were responsible for closing deals, etc.
• Those transformations affected these elements at different rates to unlock new digital journeys.

Digital transformations start from the inside out. 

• Younger generations use the tools and data they expect from a professional (or implement themselves as they grow in their careers.)
• Enterprise sales have dramatically changed in the last few years, and that’s as a result of digital transformations.
• Different departments need to become more connected to limit objections fostered within a lack of communication.
• As technology moves into the customer journey, the person's role becomes even more valuable.

Buyers are more educated now than ever.

• Sellers need a recurring delivery of value, which means overcoming continual objections far past the initial discovery. 
• Sellers need to know how a buyer can take the product you’re selling and apply it to reach their next goal or outcome.
• Be informed on how to drive the buyer’s next steps with the product you sell.

Technology allows a focus on customer understanding.

• Frontline managers no longer need to remind sellers of internal practices but rather anticipate objections and understand solutions for buyers to progress sales.
• Technology allows you to understand (as a sales manager) if your sellers are addressing the proper objections, utilizing the correct persona, and scheduling and identifying the suitable methods that will lead to a sale.
• There’s a difference between understanding the objection and addressing the objection.
• Sales leaders should be able to validate if sellers are hitting the right personas if sellers are prioritizing the correct accounts and if there is a process to qualify unaddressed accounts. 
• If you don’t have a frontline manager program with defined competencies, your future of digital transformations will not progress easily.

Connect with Art on LinkedIn or email him at art@people.ai for more great content.

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This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

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This episode is brought to you in part by The Sales Evangelist Sales Training. Check out some of our upcoming programs designed to simplify selling and help b2b sellers consistently hit quota each month. Learn more here at ww.thesalesevangelist.com/upcoming-training or call 1-833-713-2343 for more information.

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Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.