ups – to test AVs. So far, there have been 56 accidents – mostly minor. Bernard Soriano, deputy director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles, says the typical accident happens when an AV slows for a yellow traffic light and is rear-ended by the driver behind the AV. The move toward AVs is global. Japan has 36 test sites underway and plans to have Level 3 automated steering on expressways in 2020 – and full Level 4 automation on express- ways by 2025. Takao Onoda, who is running the project, says he wants to eliminate Japan’s 3,700 yearly traffic accidents, plus give the elderly and disabled more mobility. Costs are an issue. All those high- tech sensors make current AVs very expensive. That’s why the plan is to introduce AVs first into ride-sharing services like Uber, where costs can be spread over many riders and will be offset by the elimination of drivers. But Hilary Cain, director of technology and innovation at Toyota, says that – as volume grows – the aim will be to get costs down to levels middle-class families could afford as much as they could any new car. Cain says Toyota is also flexible on
what AVs mean. Toyota is working on both a Chauffeur model, where the car takes over from the driver, and a Guardian model, where the car takes over only if the driver is heading into trouble.
So how long will the transformation take? Soriano points out it took 13 years for New York City to go from 95 percent horses and carriages on its streets to 95 percent horseless carriages. That’s not a bad rough estimate of how long it will take to eliminate wasteful (and at times dangerous) windshield time. There are questions about cost, timing, and exactly what kind of AVs, but the basic direction is clear. This is coming. And, for reps who still like to meet face to face with prospects and customers, it will be easier, more efficient, and much less of a hassle.
SELLING TIP
Do What Works Work smarter, not harder! That’s the incantation the high priests of the selling art – namely, managers, consultants, and trainers – love to chant. Now, the usual idea behind ritual recitation is that it will inspire a particular kind of action or behavior – sort of the way intoning the word “toga” did in the movie Animal House. But, unfortunately, “Work smarter, not harder” has not prompted nearly so enthusiastic a response from the sales masses as was elicited from those now-legendary frat-house revelers in the film. Quite the contrary. Despite years of ceaseless chanting of the “work smarter, not harder” mantra, most of us are still not converts to the idea embodied in it. We remain firmly committed to our old, accustomed ways of doing things – even though we aren’t getting rich at it and probably never will. What’s wrong with us? Wouldn’t it be better to just get with the
program, be smart, makes lots of money, and be done with it? Maybe it’s that the idea of “working smarter, not harder” is suspect to us. It’s too pat and it sounds too easy – especially since we all know that any kind of work, smart or otherwise, means,
well...work. So, let’s recast the advice and expand on it – acknowledging, while
we’re at it, that there really is no way to succeed in selling that doesn’t require a lot of effort. Let’s state it in a way that makes sense and goes to the heart of the matter. How about simply, “Do what works and forget the rest”? For example, here’s what works: 1. Concentrate on your prospect. Focus your total attention on him. Listen to what he is saying, think about how it relates to your product, and come back at him with ideas that address his needs.
2. Put yourself in the background. In a sales interview the most im- portant person is the prospect. Talk with him and about him – not about yourself.
3. Qualify everything. Don’t jump to conclusions or assume you know what’s coming next, if it isn’t abundantly clear. Ask questions to be sure.
4. Be thorough and follow through. Keep detailed notes on significant prospects and all customers, so you know who the key people are, what their needs are, and what’s going on of importance to you in the account. If you say you’ll do something, do it without delay. Establish a reputation for reliability.
5. Think. In sales, if you’re working and not thinking, you’re probably not really working – you’re just going through the motions.
6. Work hard. If evening rolls around and you don’t feel the healthy fatigue that comes from having had a full, satisfying, and productive day, be suspicious. You may not be doing enough of what works.
– CRAIG BRIDGMAN
SELLING POWER MAY 2018 | 35 © 2018 SELLING POWER. CALL 1-800-752-7355 FOR REPRINT PERMISSION.
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