There’s been a big turnaround in what makes a good salesperson, one that’s surely impacted strip joints nationwide.

Realising this, my first thought was to go out and do my bit at replacing the missing notes in the g-strings. Sadly, Mrs P didn’t appreciate the severity of the situation. Instead, I’m desk bound jotting down my thoughts.

So what’s changed in sales that’s affecting takings at the local men’s club? Truth is, relationships aren’t key in sales success anymore. Wining and dining clients is no longer guaranteed to seal a deal.

Truth is, relationships aren’t key in sales success anymore. Wining and dining clients is no longer guaranteed to seal a deal.

Content is king. It’s not who you know, but what you know that makes you competitive. Consulting firm Chemistry Group use Schroder’s Behavioural Model to look at how people behave in the workplace. Over the last 10 years we’ve seen a shift in the equation for a great salesperson.

Old sales equation: GI3 + CE4 = IO3
Gathering Information at Level 3 (GI3) means the salesperson has knowledge of the client and their own product - it won’t be broad and won’t move beyond their specific market.

The lack of content is compensated by the ability to Create Empathy at Level 4 (CE4), an ability to get to know the client, their likes and dislikes and their birthday. Classic relationship sales.

Influencing Others at Level 3 (IO3) is the ability to win a deal at a feature vs benefit level. Our research shows that sales people who used a relationship, but lacked content, were able to Influence customers at Level 3. In the old days this was good enough.

A GI3 + CE4 salesperson is chaotic, sells on charisma and needs sweeping up after. A telecoms salesperson would have a sales engineer to compensate for lack of knowledge and a bid manager to ensure they’re organised.

Lack of resources and a desire to do more with less, means that sales has changed. The new sales equation is more complex and requires a more professional approach.

New sales equation: GI4+CE3+MH3=IO4
The new salesperson needs content, they must bring value and something to make the client more competitive.

Today’s salesperson must devote time to acquiring content. Subscribe to news feeds, read and gain new insights. Clients value content far more than relationships; it’s ok not to be their friend. They value your content and not the size of your entertainment budget.

Finally, our studies show that the best sales people are planned and execute well. Not only do they have a plan, but their stakeholders are aware of their role in the plan. So content + relationship + plan = win-win (IO4). Customers will not only spend more, they’ll spend again. Importantly, you’ll have a competitive differentiator; content is king and never the same to everyone.

The world of sales has changed, it’s what you know that counts, not who you know.

To complete the analogy, relying purely on your relationship is a slippery brass pole to failure.
Roger Philby is the founder of Chemistry Group What adds up to a great salesperson