Why Activity Isn’t Selling: The Shift to Value Creation in Modern Sales

Engaging in sales activities isn't the same as selling. Real sales happen when you're working with decision-makers to create value and establish trust.

The Real Difference Between Activity and Selling

Selling involves a wide range of tasks, including some that are heavily administrative and related to preparation. While these tasks are necessary, they do not equate to selling. No matter how much time you spend on non-selling activities, they won’t generate sales. Many sales leaders and managers mistakenly equate outbound calls and emails with key sales work. They should track outcomes instead. In the third decade of this millennium, activity alone won’t get sales teams meetings, so it’s essential to understand the difference between non-selling tasks and actual selling.

Non-Selling Tasks Salespeople Often Mistake for Selling

The tasks salespeople often confuse with selling include cold calls, emails, following up on past communications, researching prospects and industries, joining internal meetings, and updating CRMs. These tasks are foundational to a salesperson’s job, but don’t directly lead to sales. They only lay the groundwork—real sales happen elsewhere.

Why Measuring Activity Alone Isn’t Enough for Modern Sales Success

In the past, sales managers measured productivity using metrics like call volume and email counts. Today, that’s no longer enough. These types of metrics reflect a salesperson’s activity, but they have nothing to do with client engagement. Being busy isn’t the same as moving deals forward. Buyers are more resistant and volume metrics don’t indicate meaningful progress.

If you think "more activity equals better results," you're missing the bigger picture. Today success comes from engaging prospects in valuable conversations that lead to outcomes.

The Diminishing Effectiveness of Cold Outreach in Sales

Cold outreach has grown colder. Few strategies break through decision-makers’ resistance wasting time with salespeople who cannot provide value. Cold calls and emails, once staples of the sales toolkit, are less effective today.

While cold outreach isn’t dead, cutting through the noise has become significantly harder. Decision-makers are bombarded with information and are skeptical of salespeople who don’t understand their challenges.

The Core Elements of Modern Selling: Building Value and Trust

I believe the only time we’re truly selling is when we’re with our contacts, buyers, decision-makers, and stakeholders, who trust only those who can help them solve problems and improve their businesses. True selling happens when we create value, offer solutions, and build trust.

Sitting in front of your client, whether in person or virtually, is where the real work happens. Everything else is just preparation.

Why Technology Hasn’t Significantly Improved Sales Outcomes

Over the past two decades, technology has improved efficiency with little impact on actual sales. CRM systems help track activities and email automation has increased the volume of outreach messages, but they haven’t made it easier to sell. A salesperson who spends all their time logging cold calls and first meetings into a CRM or drafting automated sales messages generates activity, but this is not a stand-in for actual productivity. Technology is a tool, not a replacement for the human element required to build relationships and close deals.

Technology can be a crutch for salespeople who believe that more emails or an optimized CRM will do the hard work for them. This is a mistake. Technology won’t replace the skills and human interaction needed to create value in the sales process. It also won’t improve sales effectiveness, win rates, and other significant outcomes.

The Crucial Role of Presence in Sales Success

Selling happens when salespeople are present with their buyers and decision-makers. Whether face-to-face or on a virtual call, this is where relationships are built and deals are made. Buyers want to work with people they trust who understand their business and can solve their problems.

If you’re not spending time with decision-makers, you’re not selling. The more time you spend in front of the right people, the more likely you are to close deals.

Reframing the Sales Mindset around Outcomes, Not Activities

Ultimately, salespeople and leaders must shift their focus from activity to outcomes. It’s not about how many cold calls you make or how many emails you send—it’s about how many meaningful conversations you have with decision-makers. True selling is about being present, creating value, and building trust.

By reframing our approach to sales, we can focus on delivering results that matter to our clients and their businesses.

Reframing Sales Activity

• True selling occurs when salespeople engage directly with decision-makers to create value and build trust.
• Traditional sales activities like cold calls and emails are becoming less effective in the modern sales landscape.
• Preparatory tasks are necessary and count as activity, but not true selling.

Shifting Focus from Activity to Outcomes

• Measuring sales productivity by call volumes and email counts is outdated; success comes from valuable conversations that lead to outcomes.
• Sales professionals should prioritize time spent with decision-makers, which is where relationships are built and deals are made.

Technology's Role in Sales

• While technology has improved efficiency, it hasn't significantly impacted actual sales outcomes or replaced the need for human interaction.
• Overreliance on technology can be a crutch and won't replace the skills needed to create value in the sales process.

Key Takeaway

Sales teams need to shift focus from activity metrics to meaningful conversations and outcomes that deliver results for clients.