Has the Internet changed the way we sell?

The salesperson has changed in a lot of respects.  The old school way of taking someone out for drinks and then closing the deal just doesn't happen much anymore.  In this day and age it almost seems easier to shoot off an email to someone and then tell your boss you called on them.  That's hardly a sales call.

Has the Internet changed the way we sell?

For a lot of people it has.  One of the most important aspects of selling is being intuitive and recognizing a person's body language.  The intuitive side of selling is huge, and many people under estimate it, often times ignoring how important it is in the selling cycle.  Without noticing the buying signals we wouldn't have a sale, or would we? 

The dictionary describes an order taker as someone who doesn't put in a diligent effort to increase existing business.  With business getting tougher and more competitive for everyone, it is important to continue to cultivate new business, increase the revenue from the customers you already have, and maintain relationships.  Shooting off an email is not the answer.

All of us are guilty of sending a quick email and getting it off our desks so to speak.  We can blame the growth and magnitude of the Internet for this new age of selling we are in.  One of the best TV commercials I have ever seen is when the president of United Airlines handed out plane tickets to his salespeople and told them they will go see their customers in person.

The Internet definitely has changed the way we sell.