From Aida to Dread

"Sales are contingent on the attitude of the salesman - not the attitude of the prospect." ~ W. Clement Stone.

Salespeople all over the world are saying "What Happened?" Things changed! The Buyer is now in control.Every product, every service and every transaction has become a commodity where buyers can just jump on the internet and get price, quotes and all the information they need to compare. What is a salesperson to do? It used to be so easy we say. All we had to do was follow the old standby that every sales class taught us AIDA. Attention ~ Interest ~ Desire ~ Action. But now... It's a different model. Now it's DREAD. The buyer has a DESIRE ~ They do RESEARCH ~ They ENGAGE sellers ~ They APPRAISE their choices ~ Then they DECIDE. What's a salesperson to do?

The answer is ~ Engage. Buyers now have more information. Buyers now have more options. But just like in the AIDA model where the key was found in translating Desire into Action the new paradigm puts an emphasis on maintaining Engagement. Buyers certainly have access to more choices. Buyers will evaluate who they've engaged with and may appraise their options often after the initial contacts. Great salespeople will keep buyers engaged and stay actively engaged with them through their decision. Desire to Action? - Now it's all about Engagement to Decision. The more things change, the more they...

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