It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one that is most adaptable to change. –Charles Darwin
As many more individuals of each species are born than can possibly survive; and as, consequently, there is a frequently recurring struggle for existence, it follows that any being, if it vary however slightly in any manner profitable to itself, under the complex and sometimes varying conditions of life, will have a better chance of surviving, and thus be naturally selected. From the strong principle of inheritance, any selected variety will tend to propagate its new and modified form.–Charles Darwin
Who do you have to be to evolve?
Who do you have to be to change fundamentally?
Who do you have to be to make the adaptations necessary to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing environment?
Who do you have to be to improve from week to week, from month to month, from quarter to quarter, and from year to year?
When your clients and prospects demand that you change, it is too late. You should have changed sooner.
Who do you have to be to create something better for you and for all of the people you come in contact with, including your customers and prospects?
Who Do You Have To Be?
These are not “What do I have to do?” questions. These are “Who do I have to be?” questions. Most people know what they need to do to change, to evolve. They have a list of things about themselves that they wish were different. They have a list of new skills they need to acquire and old skills they still need to work on. They have areas of their lives that, by making significant improvements, the quality of their lives would be radically improved.
It isn’t enough to know what you need to do to evolve, and it isn’t enough to know how to evolve.
This list of questions above asks, “Who do you have to be?” because in order to change and evolve, you have to be the person who will take action on the ideas you have to make improvements.
The Evolving Role of Sales
Your success in sales also depends upon your ability to change, to grow, to evolve, and to adapt. This constant growth and changing is what allows you to continually create value for your company and it’s clients. The game of sales has changed. To succeed in sales now you need more than sales acumen.
You need financial acumen to work with CFO’s and to prove your ROI.
You need technological acumen to use the new tools of the trade, as well as to explain and differentiate your offerings.
You need the general business acumen necessary to understand how the changes you propose will positively impact your client’s profitability and give them a strategic advantage in their market.
You need the ability to orchestrate and direct a team made up of the cross-functional departments of your company and your clients.
You need subject matter expertise on your product or service, as well as the client’s product or service.
The role of the salesperson has changed. It has evolved already. Many salespeople have already evolved. Have you changed and evolved with it? Are you ready to make the next series of changes that will be necessary to succeed now and in the future?
Conclusion
In a world that is changing exponentially faster, those who succeed will be those who learn to make the necessary adaptations to their skill sets and their beliefs. Success in the future will be determined by your ability to identify the necessary adaptations that you need to make to succeed, and then making those adaptations faster than your competitors. This is true for any endeavor, and it is especially true for sales.
Questions
Am I evolving? Am I making the necessary adaptations to succeed in a changing environment?
What are the most important changes I need to make?
What is the most important first step I need to take to get started?
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Your quote always sets me off. Evolution is a rear view mirror look at the results. The world changes. The species and individuals do not change to fit the world’s changes. Instead, the unfit are eliminated. Period. The species and individuals that are not already fit for the world’s change die.
This idea that you can follow evolutionary change doesn’t work. Yes, by all means, change, but don’t do it for evolution. Change because your discipline is changing. Do this just so you can keep your job, or get a better job. Change to grow. But, don’t change for evolution. Evolutionary change is a shock. It is not smooth.
When the current recession hit, sales stalled. Sales kept on applying their tried and true methods. They needed some change from the linear norm. Evolutionary change might be too much, but the typical strategies for late markets are hated by sales.
Thanks for the comment, Dave. Actually, from an evolutionary biological perspective the species and individuals do change and adapt to fit the world’s changes. Evolution is also very slow, although it appears to be a shocking discontinuity when you look at from the rear view mirror. I recommend Richard Dawkins’ The Greatest Show on Earth for a great primer on evolutionary biology.
Somewhere in the first third of the book is a story about bacteria that adapted to eating citrus, but only after the normal food source disappeared, and long after citrus had been introduced into the environment. I’ll leave you to draw the parallels to salespeople and their behaviors during the recession!
A
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