Will Technology Ever Make the Salesperson Obsolete?

Posted in Sales,Technology by Chris Hamoen on the May 6th, 2010

Will technology ever make the salesperson obsolete? In short, absolutely not.

This is a common refrain at every step in technological advancement. Back in the late 1990s, there were whispers of how Internet technology would remove the salesperson from the transaction between buyer and seller. Now, over a decade later, we know that is not the case.

For the buyer, Internet technology allows them to conduct research on their own (with popular and trusted review websites like CNET, and Consumer Reports), and go through early phases of their buying cycle without contacting any vendors.

But technology also plays a big role in helping the salesperson achieve their goals. Advances in technology help salespeople reach prospective customers better, and provide the tools to manage a salesperson’s day-to-day workload.

Technology is neither the buyer, nor the salesperson’s enemy; it facilitates both the buying and selling process. In fact, technology is even right at the core of what we do here at SalesWays. The sales tools we develop at SalesWays allow salespeople to expand their opportunity portfolio, driving up overall value, and bringing them the results they are looking for.

So, technology is not going to replace the salesperson or leave them behind; for those adopting the best tools, technology will propel them even further toward their goals.

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3 Comments
  • Anonymous

    There has always been a segment that believes sales can be replaced/eliminated, and the Internet and technology is giving them additional (and sometimes valid) arguments for this. The fact is that customers almost never know enough about what they’re buying to do it alone. And Internet research will only take them so far. The best salespeople are a customer’s trusted source of information AND their voice within the the seller’s company. Technology cannot replace those, only supplement them, as you note.

  • Anonymous

    There has always been a segment that believes sales can be replaced/eliminated, and the Internet and technology is giving them additional (and sometimes valid) arguments for this. The fact is that customers almost never know enough about what they’re buying to do it alone. And Internet research will only take them so far. The best salespeople are a customer’s trusted source of information AND their voice within the the seller’s company. Technology cannot replace those, only supplement them, as you note.

  • jcdarrin

    There has always been a segment that believes sales can be replaced/eliminated, and the Internet and technology is giving them additional (and sometimes valid) arguments for this. The fact is that customers almost never know enough about what they're buying to do it alone. And Internet research will only take them so far. The best salespeople are a customer's trusted source of information AND their voice within the the seller's company. Technology cannot replace those, only supplement them, as you note.