Alec Kissell

This is a great article. I do think that with the advancement in technology the role of the salesman is diminishing, but I don’t think the role of the sales man can ever fully be eliminated.

For one, consumers have the options of finding what they need through Internet, compare prices, and get the best quotes for the products they are looking for. For companies that sell a certain type of good or a product, which can be easily purchased from multiple vendors or substituted, sales people may ultimately be replaced by technological features because it is easier for consumer and more convenient.

In contrast, if a company is providing services such as home improvements or installation of new software, the need for the sales people is still critical. In situation where things need to be evaluated, quoted, and implemented it becomes complicated to make best decision just based on price because multiple other factors are involved. That’s where the sales person is needed in order to help consumer evaluate their options, shows samples, find out the needs of consumer and help the consumer make the best choice.

Technology has definitely changed how we view and interact with salespeople and also how salespeople are expected to do their jobs. In today’s virtual reality it is incumbent on the salesperson to utilize technology to provide better service and lower prices. It will be key for those in sales to understand the concepts presented in this article and use them to the utmost in order to provide the best experience for the customer. Great article!

Great Article, I agree that it will take Sales people to use technology to reshape the selling process. I agree with the above comment that this will not eliminate the sales person, but change how they conduct business. The importance of relationships between buyer and seller can even triumph price and product. I see the social media and such selling only changing low-volume or small scale selling, while large scale like pharmaceutical and high-volume selling will still always be that face-to-face reliability over technology.