If you’ve ever been on a long road trip, you’ll know the people you’re with make or break the journey. The same is true for your sales team and process.
As business owners, we’re supposed to understand marketing automation, AI chatbots, tech shortcuts, and all the other intricacies of running a business. It can feel like we’ve put our sales journey on autopilot and are now wondering why we’re getting lost!
Technology is meant to happen for us, not to us. But too often, we’re left feeling overwhelmed, detached, and confused. And this is showing up everywhere in sales, especially for small businesses.
Let me share a secret with you.
If you want real, sustainable sales growth, you need the human edge. Your sales team needs to be fully equipped, trained, and inspired to connect with customers. In my UHP® (Unique Human Proposition) coaching programme, I talk about understanding your team’s strengths and how that can benefit the business.
Are your team creative, brave, fair, curious, appreciative, loyal, kind, playful, or disciplined? As a leader, it’s on you to help your team purposefully and intentionally use their signature strengths every day, week, or month.
Nothing replaces a real human conversation, no matter how shiny and evolved your tech is!
Traditional Sales vs. Modern Sales
Once you know your sales team’s strengths, you can start to piece together the sales process and how your team can build trust with your customers.
But first, let’s take a look at how the sales road trip has changed over the years.
Traditional Sales Journey:
- Awareness
- Exploring solutions
- Comparing vendors
- Purchase
In the traditional world, sales reps did a lot of the heavy lifting. They guided the customer through every inch of the journey. Conversations were frequent, trust was built through interaction, and deals were closed through relationships.
Modern Sales Journey:
- Awareness
- Exploring solutions
- Comparing vendors
- Purchase
Looks familiar, right? The steps haven’t changed – but the dynamic has!
Today, the customer is king, and marketing does 90% of the work before a salesperson even gets a look in. Customers are already halfway down the road before they even speak to a human being. They’re doing research online, reading reviews, asking for recommendations, and sizing you up without even talking to you.
96% of your customers do their own research before talking to a human sales representative, and 71% prefer to do their own research instead of talking to a rep (source: Hubspot 2024)
This shift explains why investing only in better CRM systems, AI automation, or fancier websites will not solve your sales problem.
You need a sales team that is ready to jump in at the right moment and build authentic relationships. No matter how digital the world gets, sales are still human-to-human.
“People buy from people that they know, like, and trust.” Bob Burg
Communication is The Missing Link
George Bernard Shaw said it best: “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
It’s easy to think you’ve communicated just because you posted something, sent an email, or set up a social media campaign.
But real communication happens when your message is received, understood, and acted upon.
That’s where your sales team comes in. Skilled salespeople bridge the gap between information and connection. They read body language, listen to your audience, and ask the questions tech can’t. How many conversations have you had with potential customers on your social feed? They want to get to know the people behind the brand.
Customers are looking for answers or solutions, and your sales team gets to provide this authentically and uniquely using human emotions.
They can tell when a customer is hesitant, ready to buy, or needs a little reassurance. And it’s those conversations that turn browsers into buyers.
Taking Customers From Hell to Heaven
Sales isn’t about forcing a product or service onto someone. It’s about taking a customer from their version of “hell” (their pain, frustration, or problem) to “heaven”, which is the solution that improves their life.
When you invest in your salespeople, their skills, confidence, and emotional intelligence, you inspire them to guide customers through that transformation.
And that’s something no tech can ever replicate, no matter how smart.
The sales journey still needs humans behind the wheel as real communication changes everything. Sales is about service. Remember, taking people from hell to heaven means they become loyal customers who feel heard and understood, and this is essential to build the trust that creates that loyalty.
If you want to succeed today, invest in the sales team that sells for you. When you’ve got a great team, the sales road trip becomes the adventure of a lifetime!
Do your team members know what a difference they make? As a leader, it’s up to you to tell them and help them to do just that.
Is it time to invest in your business? Book a Sales Day Trip with Jules.
The Sales Day Trip is a new way for us to work together. We spend a full day covering lots of things, including peeling back your business to discover your ideal client and UHP® and building a sales strategy that will be life-changing for anyone who doesn’t like or know how to sell. This training day shares one simple message: ‘Sales is human, and you are unique’.
“Jules draws inspiration from her upbringing in a family-owned retail business, where she witnessed the power of authentic customer relationships. Her father’s ability to connect with customers on a personal level left a lasting impression on her, and this foundation of trust and authenticity is at the core of her approach.
If you’re ready to transform your approach to leadership, customer service, and sales, I wholeheartedly recommend connecting with Jules. She is not just a coach but a catalyst for meaningful change. My team has loved working with her, Ethos Farm just wouldn’t be the same without her involvement.
Jules, your passion, authenticity, and dedication to helping others are truly inspiring. I have no doubt that your clients will benefit immensely from your guidance and expertise. Thank you.” David Swain – Operations Director Ethos Farm (working with Heathrow Airport)
If you want to ‘Discover your UHP®’ with me, book a 1-hour personal coaching session HERE.
“Jules ‘The Dragon Slayer’ White is a skilled and passionate sales professional with a unique approach that combines a human touch with a strategic mindset. I’ve witnessed and enjoyed her coaching style that inspired our team to achieve excellent results. Her drive for continuous improvement and high standards of customer service make her an asset to any organization.” Antoine Metivier – Consultant Director of Online Partnerships – Fintech
Want to find out more? Schedule a virtual cuppa with me, and we can have a chat about my coaching services.
Are you seeking an experienced and inspiring Keynote Speaker ready to captivate and entertain the audience at your next event? Get in touch to discover more.