Business Development Managers - BDMs. That was the acronym and the unkind version was Brochure Delivery Managers. This was because many felt that was all that they did - delivered brochures, brought donuts and coffee, talked meaningless nothingness and then left returning four to six weeks later depending on the call cycle.

The BDM of old now competes with the chat bot, the website, the YouTube channel, the AI bot, the review site, the blogger, and the influencer all talking about things that were historically the topics owned and controlled by the salesperson. Years ago, the only way to find out what was happening in any organisation was to talk to someone, often a salesperson from that organisation. The salesperson could get meetings because they were a single source of information.

These days why would anyone bother meeting a salesperson?

All the information about their business and their industry and their competitors is readily available from countless online sources. Why would any prospect or client want to spend time with a salesperson anymore? Because good salespeople are source of inspiration and counsel for any of us trying to make our way in organisational life.

The salesperson of the 21st Century

The salesperson of the 21st century is a powerful potent professional with a point of view and professionalism unknown to the BDM of decades prior. The prospect or client will meet with them because the conversation is enlivening, provoking and enjoyable. For that to be true the salesperson turns up well-read and curious and they have kept up to date with the industry and have read the client’s latest publications, results, slide decks, announcements and socials. They bring insights from their other sales conversations with other professionals in other organisations. They ask questions of their client that compel the client to think differently about their challenges.

In an ideal world our prospects and clients look at their diary on a Sunday night, see the upcoming meeting with the sales professional and experience a feeling of anticipation. They know it will be an hour of their week where they will get smarter and have fun.

The question for every salesperson in the game today: Are you someone who can cause your client to feel that?