319: Steve Jobs And The Death Of The Salesperson

<p style="font-weight: 400;">Proprietary research findings, industry experience, thick product catalogues, detailed flyers were the currency of the salesperson, before the advent of the iPhone.  The salesperson was an unknown quantity, so the only guarantee was their firm’s brand.  The individual didn’t have a personal brand.  Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007 and changed sales forever.  That salesperson of old has been killed off by the technology. The client today has access to everything the salesperson has and they can access it from anywhere.  In fact, they can know a lot about the salesperson before they ever meet and size them up accordingly.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Content marketing has flooded every field with knowledge, insight and experience. It is all free and literally within your grasp as you pick up your phone and plug into the internet.  Someone I know here, picked up their phone, wrote this message and sent it out to their social media network – “Has anyone seen Mr. X, he owes me money?”.  Mr. X had a business here in Tokyo and they were trying to sell us their services.  Once upon a time the disgruntled businessperson could have told a few people about their issue with Mr. X.  He could have easily evaded broad public scrutiny and kept going as before.  Not now. </p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">His name is mud and anytime someone checks him out, there will be a thick trail of brand destruction for all to see and so people will be wary of him.  It is as easy as picking up your iPhone. The same thing can happen to any of us.  If we are not doing the right thing by how we serve our clients, then public purview will be close behind. The well will be poisoned for other potential deals. </p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Another person I know here had a business dispute with the seller of a company they bought.  The post deal elements became acrimonious and was waged in the Court of Public Opinion, courtesy of the internet as well as in the legal courts.  They told me that subsequent to