We live in a world where we have incredible access to technology. As we look at technology, we have to ask ourselves where are the relational skills? Where are the human elements?

“The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don’t really even notice it, so it’s part of everyday life.”

Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft.

Technology and sales enablement tools are not only helping sales professional’s gain momentum in their marketplace, they’re also changing the way they sell their services.

Selling successfully in a digitally driven, highly networked and socially empowered business world takes a new mindset and skill set.

Inside many sales departments, there’s a tug-of-war happening, a generational change and shift in sales thinking. Tenured, well-seasoned sales reps are watching tech-savvy young professionals gunning for them as they take their careers to the next level.

Regardless of how long you’ve been in sales or plan on being in sales, you must quickly assess the best ways to sell your services and market yourself in this technology-driven world.

Our society loves to complain how technology is ruining our social skills and our conversational skills, by placing a massive dent between us and the human connection.

Instead of viewing all of this as the dehumanization of the sales profession, let’s look at how we can humanize ourselves and our relationships through the use of technology

HUMAN… THE ADVANTAGE IN A TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN SALES WORLD  

We’re more connected to technology than ever before. With all of this technology comes an onslaught of information. This massive adoption of the internet and technology into our everyday business life has critically altered the sales profession.

Granted technology and tech stacks has transformed how we sell, it’s also created some monumental gaps. When we over-automate the sales process, relationships suffer and we risk losing touch of what’s really important, our clients and future clients.

Learn to drive a human conversation

At the very core, we all crave human experiences and connection. In the age of information overload and unlimited reach, the one-to-one connection is now more valuable than ever.

All things being equal… People buy from and refer people they know, like and trust. How do you become “this person” with someone you’ve never met? How do you do this leveraging the use of technology?

The answer is quite simple…

You must humanize yourself through the use of technology

Why are we afraid of being human in sales? Does it go against the norm? I challenge all those in sales and in leadership… how can you humanize what many in the sales world are dehumanizing?

What makes us human in a digitally driven and technology riddled sales world?

What does it mean to be real and relatable?

What can we do to build meaningful relationships through the use of technology?

ENHANCE RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

There’s an awful lot of criticism out there as to how technology is tearing apart human relationships. Many refer back to the ‘good ole days’ when customer relationships were built face to face. I’m here to tell you, nothing has changed. The tools have changed to help enhance how we build customer relationships.

In this digitally obsessed and technology riddled sales world, technology actually has the power to make salespeople more social. Humans are social creatures. We sense and crave belonging. Technology allows this to happen. It gives us the ability to converse and interact with people and build connections in convenient ways.

Think about how difficult it is to build relationships right now face to face. We operate in a crazy busy sales world. The questions for you… how can you bring you to life and scale your relationships through the use of technology?

Technology is wonderful and technology runs rampant in the twenty-first century but we must not forget to humanize it. Many in sales are leveraging and utilizing technology as they dehumanize sales. A heartfelt sales professional leverages technology to humanize their efforts.

“You never know when one conversation will lead to exponential sales growth.”

We have so many technology platforms to help salespeople do their job better and more efficiently that we’ve forgotten the heart is at the center of sales.

I ask all of you to think about the following three questions…

1. Are you being real and transparent?
2. How well are you opening up a heartfelt conversation?
3. Are you present in the moment and engaging with intent?

There’s incredible power of genuine, sincere engagement with other human beings to drive sales success.

Relationships matter, human matters, and technology matters.

To your sales success!

About the Author:
Larry Levine is the best-selling author of Selling From the Heart and the co-host of the Selling From the Heart Podcast. With 30 years of in-the-field sales experience within the B2B technology space, he knows what it takes to be a successful sales professional.
Larry has successfully sold to customers ranging from up-and-down the street accounts to Fortune 500 companies. In the fall of 2013, Larry became a corporate major account rep for a Japanese OEM in Los Angeles, California, one of the most competitive markets in the United States. Hero walked into a zero base opportunity with no current customers. By using the strategies explained in Selling From the Heart, he booked over $1.3 million in new sales in 2014, leaving behind a $1.6-million pipeline for the next rep to develop.

Larry now coaches and inspires sales leaders and their teams to do what he did. Since 2016, Larry has coached sales professionals across the world, from tenured reps to new millennials entering the salesforce. They all appreciate the practical, relevant and “street–savvy” nature of his coaching.

In a world full of empty suits, Larry is passionate about helping sales reps succeed by getting valuable before they get visible. He helps sales teams understand the true value they bring to the market. Then he helps them get visible by combining traditional sales techniques with new social selling strategies. “I’m leading a revolution of authenticity, integrity, and substance in the sales profession.” Larry lives in Thousand Oaks, California where he is actively involved in Kiwanis and other local non-profits.