One thing I’ve learned in my years as a business owner is that advice can sometimes be found in surprising places. Here's a great example: salespeople can be an untapped well of knowledge.
You know the drill: you get a call from an unknown number, hesitate before answering, figure out it’s a salesperson and quickly make up an excuse to hang up. You assume—perhaps correctly—that whatever they’re trying to sell you is not worth your time.
Sometimes there is a reason salespeople are calling; maybe they genuinely believe your business would benefit from whatever they’re selling. A lot of the time, though, they could just be filling their cold calling quota for the day. You assume the latter more often than not when you receive a call from an unknown number.
But talking with salespeople in your industry may not be such a bad idea. It’s a chance to see what’s out there and what’s new. Remember, they’re experts in their fields; even if you have no interest in buying what they’re selling, it’s good to see what they’re selling and how they’re selling it. Pay attention to which pitches you respond to and which ones you don’t. Pay extra special attention to the pitches for products that are similar to yours.
Essentially, treat talking to salespeople as research.
I once worked for a $200 million company and learned a lot from the CEO. He would read all kinds of magazines and articles and speak with every salesperson he came across. He would often bring a salesperson from a similar firm into the office under the guise of a proposal or pitch meeting. They would explain all of their strategies in what they thought was a sales pitch, and from there the CEO would decide: Is this something we should be doing? Can we do it in house? Or is this a service we should outsource to an agency?
Every day, there are new tech strategies coming out of the woodwork—this is just one way of many to keep up with what’s out there. In order to stay afloat, you have to find out what else is out there. Keep actively seeking meeting with salespeople who are involved with things in your industry; more often than not, their insights could be beneficial to you.
The same goes for your direct competition. Speaking with their salespeople, even in brief phone calls, lets you know what strategies they’re using and what you could be doing differently. You might find something they’re focusing on is something you should be offering.
Talking with salespeople is vital to knowing what’s out there. Whatever it is you do, make up your mind to stay on top of the advancements in your industry.
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