Part of what Mark Petruzzi and Paul Melchiorre do so well with their new book – Selling the Cloud: A Playbook for Success in Cloud Software and Enterprise Sales – is show how much of what Cloud Software and overall remote, digitized approaches to work entail is the same as what in-person, decidedly organic labor entailed. Punctuality, flexibility, and the ability to provide within a desired turnaround frame – now all the more doable, all the more accessible thanks to this symbiotic relationship with the web.
“No matter how high the stakes are, our business is not about money; it is about people. Our profession is listening, learning, and positioning our solutions in a way that benefits the people we serve. Remember, the customer is not the company, it is the individual person you are serving. Individuals often stay in the same industry but work for different companies over their careers. You never know when you might have the opportunity to work with a former prospect, customer, or colleague again. That is why it is incredibly important to keep relationships positive and to continually check your network to learn how to better serve customers, colleagues, and competitors alike,” they write. “…If you never take the time to think about what you do and why it brings you joy, burnout is inevitable, and your relationships and quotas will suffer along with your mental health. You will spend over 1/3 of your life working, so make it something you are passionate about doing.
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Selling-Cloud-Playbook-Software-Enterprise/dp/B08L46W1WL
Not to mention that if you find passion in what you do, you are much more likely to succeed in the profession, especially in a profession like sales that consistently knocks you down. Keep your mindset positive and focus on what brings you joy in your work. When challenges come up in sales, it is common to feel defeated and try to sidestep the hurdle. However, you have another option. You can immerse yourself in the challenge and learn something new. The latter approach typically helps you earn respect among your colleagues and customers, contributes to a better bottom line, and helps you develop a deeper and fuller sense of purpose. The ability to thrive through adversity is what separates the most successful from the least successful. The future of enterprise software sales has a growth mindset. This means believing that your most basic abilities can evolve through dedication and hard work. In other words, book smarts and natural talent are just the tip of the iceberg. The true differentiator is being willing to lean in, learn, and overcome adversity.”
In a nutshell, these are timeless lessons and practices – regardless of, and enhanced by – Cyberspace.
“Sales is not just a job. Those who want to clock in and clock out at a nine-to-five job need not apply. Sales is a lifestyle. This does not mean you must be chained to your iPhone or desk all day every day. However, it does require you to be available outside of business hours. The tradeoff for that sacrifice is the opportunity to live more freely than your contemporaries with desk jobs,” Petruzzi and Melchiorre proclaim.
Garth Thomas