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How Automation Will Affect the Future of Sales

Posted: 24 Mar 2019 12:00 PM PDT

The idea of automation holds a unique and confounding place in the public consciousness.

The Cambridge dictionary holds two definitions of automation:

1. The use of machines that operate automatically, and; 

2. The use of machines or computers instead of people to do a job, especially in a factory or office.

Definition No. 1 at a first glance sounds relatively innocent. We are surrounded by machines that operate automatically or with minimal input every day – traffic lights, coffee machines, the spam filter for your emails – things we rarely give a second thought to.

However, definition No. 2 – the use of machines or computers instead of people – introduces some ominous undertones to the idea of automation.

How the Cambridge dictionary presents these definitions is reflective of the conflicting messaging we receive when it comes to the future of automation. Many business leaders worldwide are depicting a brighter future – one where we are freed from the shackles of monotonous work. On the other hand, we have been told to fear this technology and that the bleak reality will be a world rife with robotic interactions and mass unemployment.

Both pictures are extreme. But the reality is, automation is nothing new.

Think about the ubiquity of ATMs (automated teller machines) or the ease of checking in at an airport kiosk instead of standing in a queue to check in at the gate.

This is also true when it comes to sales. The sales industry is constantly adopting new technologies to make the process more strategic and efficient.

The invention of the telephone in 1876 completely revolutionized the sales process at the time. And in the past 20 years alone we have seen the technology revolution, the social revolution, and the mobile revolution impact how salespeople do their jobs.

The impact of automation on salespeople

There is no doubt that automation has brought more efficiency into our personal and working lives. It helps us to work more productively, simplify everyday tasks and even win back some leisure time. However, there are several important questions to consider when it comes to how automation will affect salespeople on a personal and professional level.

What exactly is automation freeing up time for?

Automation promises to eliminate the mundane, repetitive tasks that dog the lives of salespeople. In theory, time spent on admin is time away from selling, so this must be a win for salespeople. But have we considered exactly what automation is freeing up time for?

For example, if automating the lead qualification process means a sales rep will have five times the amount of prospects to contend with, then the expectation to dramatically increase close rates will inevitably follow. How will this extra pressure affect the performance of salespeople?

It's important to have a very clear idea of what exactly it is you are freeing up the time for and to have the right support and systems in place to handle it.

How will automation affect the psyche of salespeople?

Do we need to automate existing systems because the salesperson isn't good enough to do the job at hand and we want to enhance their performance? Or are we looking to automation to replace that person altogether?

The prospect of automation leading to increased unemployment can't be ignored, so you need to consider how far you want to take it. Do you want your systems to replace your employees or make them better? The question, "Is it because of me or instead of me?" is a problematic one that needs to be addressed and treated with sensitivity and clarity.

Who is making the decisions?

This is another troubling question that's important to consider when it comes to automation, but even more pertinent to the concept of artificial intelligence and machine learning. When we automate tasks, we are undoubtedly reducing the risk of human error, but we also remove an element of decision-making and control from the individual salesperson. Instead, we put the rules and decision-making into the hands of a select group of people who program the tasks.

So who is making the decisions? Will automation be driven by the people who actually sell? Will it be directed by management? Will it be decided by the people who make the sales tools?

With this in mind, we need to be careful about who exactly is making the decisions around automating sales processes and the implications on the industry as a whole.

Find the balance

In order to approach automation sensibly, we first need to tune out the hype and look at the bigger picture. It's important to acknowledge that automation technology has the power to completely disrupt the sales process – we have seen this happen before. But it's also important to recognize that automation will never be as powerful as a good salesperson. This should be front of mind when it comes to any decision around automating a process. Successful automation requires a delicate balance that emphasizes the human side of sales.

If we automate too much, the sales experience will become robotic and customers will be lost. If we automate too little, the sales process will stagnate and, in turn, breed disengaged and dissatisfied employees and customers.

To achieve the right balance when automating sales tasks, we need a clear view of where automation can and should be used to save time and boost your company's bottom line, and we need salespeople to drive these decisions.

Sales success ultimately means making closing deals easier while keeping customers happy. Automation technology can undoubtedly help us to drive this success with more efficiency and momentum than ever, but only if we can maintain a focus on human and personalized selling.

How to Scale Your Business From Zero to Millions

Posted: 24 Mar 2019 09:00 AM PDT

Scaling your business up to the point where your brand is renowned by millions is no easy feat, yet the tantalizing rewards of wealth, fame and success continue to drive entrepreneurs everywhere to grow their companies to the largest size possible. As many aspiring business owners are doubtlessly finding out, scaling your business to millions takes a huge commitment of time and capital alike, and isn't a quest that's ventured upon lightly.

Despite the challenges that await you, expanding the presence of your brand doesn't have to be insanely expensive or downright impossible. Here's how to scale your business to millions.

Start by establishing strong foundations

A skyscraper can't soar to lofty heights without the help of some strong, stable foundations that everything else to come can balance upon. Similarly, your business can't be scaled to millions unless you establish strong foundations, which will buoy your brand's prospects for years to come. The first thing you need to do is run a thorough and honest audit of your company's existing operations to arrive at a blunt understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. From there, you can begin honing the niche that will take you to worldwide fame while grappling with the business insecurities that may be holding you back right now.

There are a number of tough questions that every business owner looking to go international needs to confront if they hope to succeed. Review the seven questions you should ask yourself before going international if you're committed to selling your products or services overseas, and don't forget how vitally important it is to have culturally savvy team members on your side. Far too often, aspiring entrepreneurs fail to scale their businesses because they try to do too much themselves and refuse to delegate to the capable employees they've brought on.

After you've completed a brutally honest assessment of your business and are confident you're ready to enter a new market, you can begin the real work of scaling up your business. Here, you'll be focusing heavily on the digital tools that brands need to leverage to stand apart from the crowd in the hectic digital age. Beginning with social media and search engines, you'll need to arrive at a masterful understanding of the avenues of communication you'll be using to tap into consumer demand around the globe.

Social media channels are popular for a reason

There's little doubt as to why most companies are advertising on social media channels right now – they work. Despite the ceaseless scandals that companies like Facebook and Twitter find themselves engulfed in, literally billions of consumers from all corners of the world regularly flock to these channels to connect with friends, catch up on the latest news, and receive savings and deals from their favorite companies. If you haven't already embraced Facebook Business and its impressive connectivity, consider that it has 1.2 billon users that your business can reach out to as you attempt to scale into the big leagues.

Using Facebook marketing wisely is all about capturing leads; by deftly navigating the platform and making witty posts, you'll soon discover that you've accrued literally thousands of followers for your particular brand. This is because social media is immensely engaging, as it forces users to interact with your advertisements and outreach campaigns to a much greater extent than other options. Learn how to leverage Facebook marketing, and you'll be scaling your business to millions in no time. Don't think that you have to stick to established social media platforms to make a big splash in the marketplace, however, other things like search engines should also be grabbing your attention.

If you're trying to scale your business to millions, you'll doubtlessly already have a website established and a decent presence for yourself on the web. Whether millions of consumers can find your business presence may depend on how well optimized your content is for popular search engines like Google, though, making it worthwhile for you to analyze how to boost your search engine prospects. Everything from the structure of your website to the particular words you use in your advertising copy can impact your SEO, so be aware that you may need an entire digital restricting if you're committed to scaling to a global level.

Tap into the power of SEO

Tapping into the power of SEO to scale your business to millions begins by finding the keywords in your industry that you'll need to latch onto. Having in-house resources to collect data on your consumer base is immensely important, especially if you're trying to scale to an international level, so be aware that you may need to start vacuuming up consumer data and metadata in droves to have a serious impact with your marketing efforts. Be sure to pour over a useful guide for scaling your business's presence on international search engines if you're having trouble generating a buzz on Google.

Finally, it's imperative to understand that you can't sustainably scale your business to millions without some talented co-workers to help you out. Some entrepreneurs who have forged their own small business may shun the idea of enlisting the help of others, but it's a simple matter of fact that having more tech-savvy workers on your team will help you as you achieve the minimum efficient scale to get your business to millions. The modern marketplace demands digital expertise, so be sure that those working under your command have a clear understanding of the tools and domains they'll be leveraging for success.

Despite the many hurdles that confront small business owners in the modern marketplace, it's very possible to scale any business to millions with the help of the right digital tools and strategy. Don't let the daunting challenge ahead of you get you down – instead, let the challenge of scaling your business to millions serve as fuel that keeps you going. Continue to invest heavily in your social media presence and never forget the importance of optimizing your content for search engines, and you'll soon be scaling to new, unforeseen heights.
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