Short talk (YouTube video) by Jason M. Lemkin arguing that the leading way to build sales relationships today is to be a product expert; buyers prefer subject-matter experts over generic 'people people' amid vendor overload and cost-cutting. The speaker emphasizes deep domain/data expertise plus basic closing skills to outperform competitors.
Now, the number one way I think you build a relationship in sales today, no matter what is being a product expert. If you are you literally the biggest guru in the data, sales data, the biggest guru in your industry, and you learn a little bit how to ask for the close you don't even. You will destroy the competition. There's too many vendors. Too much is being cut. Too much is being rationalized. My time is short. I'm not adding 50 SaaS vendors. I'm shrinking my. I want to talk to an expert. I don't want to talk to this person that thinks they're a people person. I don't need a people person. I need an expert.
