B2B customers don’t need sales people the way they used to. That’s the central premise of a feature article in the July-August 2012 edition of the Harvard Business Review by research and advisory services specialists Corporate Executive Board.

Today’s digitally-aware customers have become skilled at finding their own “solutions”. As a result, they don’t need sales reps like they used.

Unlike traditional solution sellers, agile sales people are responding by leading with insights meant to disrupt, challenge and differentiate a customer’s approach to business.

So, if you are only just weaning your sales crew away from traditional hunter-killer, transactional behaviour patterns and across into the solution-selling game, get primed for another pivot.

For more on how the Internet has changed the decision-buying process check out Google’s Zero Moment of Truth video:

Google has a site dedicated to the concept.