Modern sales strategies have been a sigh of relief for many salespeople. This is where we put the customer first and operate as a problem solver vs. someone pushing for a sale. But our titles (like that of Salesperson) have not kept up with these changes.
I’m not a fan of whacky titles for the sake of being different, but I do believe titles influence (if not only subconsciously) our identities. And our identities have a massive impact on our behaviour. So where am I going with this?
In any transaction, we have two parties. We have the seller and the buyer. In the modern sales paradigm, we know that no one likes to be sold, but people love to buy—and it’s our job as a salesperson is to find people who have the problem we can solve and help them to buy it. Given that focus (helping people to buy), why do we still use a title that is focused on selling? No one likes being sold, and it’s not where our focus should be.
Perhaps I’m splitting hairs here, but I don’t think so. I believe these small distinctions is what fine tunes our thinking and helps us to step up a level. And I know anytime I’ve been in a meeting with someone who could buy, and I’ve been focused on making a sale, it rarely goes well. And the reverse is also true. When I’m focused on what the other person needs and how I can help them get that, it usually ends up with two happy people because we’ve been focused on the right thing.
Sales are about helping others, being of service to others and helping people to solve their problems and get what they want. And if we can do that well, we can get compensated well. And that’s the way it should be.
So, what am I suggesting? Should we change the title salesperson to ‘buying agent’ or ‘problem solver’? I’m not sure. But I do think it’s worth considering that it’s time to update the titles to match the philosophy. It’s time to change the identity of the ‘salesperson.’
