Why Your Perfect Blue Sheet Isn't Worth Jack

I should point out that while I’ve mentioned a “blue sheet” in this blog title and that is connected with a certain Sales Methodology Company, this is a metaphor for any “legacy” sales methodology.We have a client, that use “Blue Sheets.” I remember doing the training when I was a graduate at International Computers Ltd (ICL) some 25 years ago. ICL no longer exists, it didn’t remain relevant as the world and the world of sales changed. But “Blue Sheets” are still being taught.Anyway a client of ours uses “Blue Sheets” and we attended a deal review and at the end of the deal review, the client turned to me and said “what do you think?”My reply was that I didn’t think the salesperson had a chance and the deal would be lost. Why? Because, the salesperson was not connected to anybody in the account on LinkedIn. Not even the decision maker. The logic being that if you are not connected on Linkedin with people in your target accounts how can you have a relationship and how can you be using content as an way to influence the decision?We all know that since time began, sales decisions were made and our job as salespeople was to get in front of the people making them. When they came to make that decision or they wrote a report with a recommendation, our product, service or solution would be chosen.10 years ago, there may have been one or two people, 5 years ago this was 4 or 5 people. Now Gartner reckons a decision group is more likely to be 10 people. This means that as a salesperson you need to get in front of (at least) 10 people. This sales approach does not scale without social. Related: Are These Flip-Flopping Sales Gurus for Real? Which is why all those sales gurus that say nothing has changed in sales are doing you harm rather than good. That is the sales truth, but I digress.

As you well know that social selling is about three things:

  • Personal brand
  • A strong network
  • Content
  • This allows your clients to see that you are an expert, a great person, somebody that will support them. You can also control your deals and the close cycles by the use of content. But if you are not connected to any of your clients on social, you can have the best “blue sheet” in the world, but the deal is just a “hope and a dream”. As we all know, hope is not a strategy.

    So what do you need to do?

    Build relationships in your prospects. This is all about you getting “in front” of the people in the account. You will be looking to do this face-to-face, but you also need to this through social.