Slaping a fancy title won't fix the problem
#salespeople, newsflash:
Slapping a fancy title on your LinkedIn profile won't magically fix your reputation.
"Growth Evangelist"? "Growth Partner"? Sounds like you’re starting a cult, not making sales calls.
Let's be real—you're still selling.
I once worked with someone who proudly called herself a "Consultant."
Intrigued, I asked her why. She said, "Indians don't like talking to a salesperson."
Ironically, her talk-to-listen ratio was 75%+ on every call.
Digging deeper, I found her questions dried up after 10 minutes, and the prospect's interest followed suit.
The call typically ended with a lukewarm, "Sure, I'll think about it and get back to you."
It’s amusing (and a bit sad) to see salespeople aware of their "pushy, transactional, and unprofessional" image, yet thinking a title change is the cure.
Spoiler: it's not.
Every sales hiring manager asks, "Hey, do you know consultative selling?" Sure, we all *know* it. But how many truly practice it?
Unfortunately, not many.
Rebranding yourself won’t erase pushiness, transactional behavior, or lack of professionalism.
Real change comes from actually *changing*.
The first step?
"Listening to understand."
And no, that doesn't mean zoning out for 5 minutes while the prospect talks, only to jump back in with,
"Yeah, but Jacob, we've done this with XYZ[customer of yours]."
🤦🏻♀️
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