X-ray of an IoT salesman

I admire salespeople who sell Internet of Things (IoT) because it’s one thing to write about how to sell IoT:» Welcome to the first “Selling IoT” Master Class!”  and a very different one is to sell IoT: «Finding the IoT Sales Experts of the World”.

It has been more than 5 years since the sellers of M2M solutions or telematics solutions, changed their business cards to include in their titles the buzzword: IoT. They thought that it would be a talisman, a plus to sell more and faster. It has not been so.

Today many of these salespeople have abandoned this chimera that is to sell IoT. Some have been hooked on the hype of Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Robot Process Automation (RPA) but most have returned to the security of selling Cloud, ERPs, CRMs, Security, and traditional IT services.

There has been no evolution or transformation of the sales style because of the IoT. Large IT and industrial companies have continued with their traditional sales model and even though salespeople have received IoT sales courses, their sales objectives have not changed. If you sell IoT connectivity your focus is IoT connectivity and forget about the rest. If you sell IoT devices your focus is IoT devices and so on.

Maybe the reason of this sales approach is that the ecosystem necessary to accelerate the adoption of IoT is not working. Companies add partner logos for Marketing but not for Sales.

I assured in my article that for selling IoT we should be emotional, passionate, ambitious, disruptive. I am not sure anymore, and I am not an isolated case. I talk to many friends and contacts and they are tired of waiting for this market to burst. It will never happen.

Someone should say it: Hardly any expert salesperson in a big company wants to sell IoT if they have another option. Selling IoT at scale is hard, sales cycles are long, and the frustration is big.  In the absence of regulation or government incentives, IoT salesmen prefer another bull, not a Victorino. Spaniards who read me know what I mean.

As for the hundreds of IoT startups looking for commission salespeople, I have to tell you, that’s not the way to go. Because if you pay an engineer or a programmer, shouldn’t you pay the salespeople equally? This I leave for another debate.

What´s wrong doctor?

When IoT salespeople go to the doctor with endless muscle, physical or mental pain and looking for a solution, the doctors ask them to explain their symptoms, their problems.

And at that moment, they sink them further. Isn’t this what all of salespeople want from their clients? Have you ever dreamed that customers come to you, tell you their needs and you with your knowledge and experience help them?

What do you see on my X-ray?

• Lungs: keep the good and let go of the unnecessary.
• Heart: find out what job you like and then put all your heart into it.
• Liver: prevent your brain from arguing with your heart.
• Kidneys: expel the stones that have you tied to your computer and your smartphone.
• Bones: Do not dedicate your insomnia to those who do not dream of you
• Brain: Keep training looking for other motivations

Does it have a cure?

If there is a cure, I don’t know about it. It would be good if IoT salespeople who have been cured or who have not suffered from this disease give us their advice.

“Time heals everything does not apply to the frustration of selling IoT”

Key takeaways

I am pessimistic about the promises of IoT since a couple of years. I try to encourage my contacts and followers with my articles and post, but not to myself. I no longer believe the predictions of IoT. If you were expecting some advices in this article, sorry I can´t tell you how to sell IoT.

I am looking hard to find other disciplines, other business other technologies that make me happier and more useful for my family, for my city, for my region, for my country, for the world.

My radiological report is clear. Do not waste more time selling IoT.

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