{"id":57781,"date":"2025-10-20T10:31:04","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T17:31:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/?p=57781"},"modified":"2025-10-20T10:31:04","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T17:31:04","slug":"modern-sales-archetype","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/resources\/modern-sales-archetype\/","title":{"rendered":"Say \u201cHi\u201d to the Modern Sales Archetype: Curious, Creative, and Content-Driven"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not long ago, in-person and telephone salespeople operated from pre-written scripts that contained high-powered, persuasive, and urgent words. The purpose of the verbiage? To get the customer\u2019s attention and push them into buying a product or service (whether needed or not).<\/p>\n

However,\u00a0sales consultant and author Scott Leese<\/a>\u00a0has a different take on this old-fashioned sales archetype. Customers and prospects are more knowledgeable and sophisticated than their parents and grandparents. They resist being pushed into anything. Today\u2019s salesperson needs to ditch the cold calls and canned pitches and change their approach to stand out.<\/p>\n

In this article, you’ll learn why personalization and authenticity now outweigh scripts and pressure tactics, and why today’s salespeople need creativity and writing chops \u2014 not just closing experience.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Classic Sales Archetypes (and Why They’re Outdated)<\/h2>\n

So what are those old-fashioned sales models? Let\u2019s take a look.<\/p>\n

The Type A Closer<\/h3>\n

The Type A is the\u00a0stereotype for sales<\/a>: a highly competitive and results-oriented individual. \u201cThis is the personality that is the loud life of the party,\u201d Leese commented. \u201cSometimes in a good way. Sometimes in a bad way.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, today’s buyers are wary of hard-sell tactics, making this aggressive approach appear pushy and inauthentic.<\/p>\n

The Quiet Workhorse<\/h3>\n

At the other end of the spectrum is the salesperson who focuses on empathy, relationship-building, and listening. But this archetype can also lack confidence. Said Leese: \u201cIf you don\u2019t heal that person\u2019s defective insecurity, they\u2019re not going to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Over-Analyzer<\/h3>\n

This archetype is dedicated to facts and data. While reports and intel can help support a sales pitch, Leese said that this individual might be too slow and calculated to shift gears quickly if a situation changes.<\/p>\n

Why Sales Needs a New Breed of Talent<\/h2>\n

Today\u2019s environment \u2014 not to mention prospects \u2014 requires up-to-date salespeople who can handle the following.<\/p>\n

Overcoming Buyer Skepticism Requires Authenticity (Not Canned Scripts)<\/h3>\n

Artificial intelligence\u00a0<\/a>is everywhere in marketing. \u201cWe\u2019re at a place where I think everybody is extremely suspicious of any piece of written content at all, and whether it\u2019s authentically human,\u201d Leese noted.<\/p>\n

He explained that the successful sales individual will do everything in their power to prove they\u2019re a human, not a programmed chatbot. \u201cThe only way to be unique and different is to do things that prove your humanity,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Exceeding Customer Expectations Requires Personalization at Scale<\/h3>\n

Today\u2019s prospects and customers want the personal touch.<\/p>\n

In one instance, Leese had some difficulty making a sale with a Chicago-based company. The problem? The two partners said they didn\u2019t have time to discuss it with one another.<\/p>\n

With some digging, Leese learned that the partners liked baseball; one cheered the Cubs, while the other was a White Sox fan. Leese sent two tickets to a Cubs-White Sox home game, suggesting the partners discuss the sale proposition there.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey took a selfie at the game, texted it to me, and said \u2018hey, thanks for the game,\u2019\u201d Leese said. The partners also had their talk and told Leese to call them to discuss the details of the sale.<\/p>\n

Getting in front of prospects is one thing.\u00a0Personalization<\/a>\u00a0takes it further. \u201cThat stuff is mattering more and more,\u201d Leese said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s how you\u2019re going to stand out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cutting Through Content Saturation Requires Originality and Authority<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s a lot of content out there these days. Leese noted that many people continue to push out\u00a0blog posts<\/a>, emails, and other types of content, which muddies the messaging waters. Additionally, a lot of low-quality, spammy content makes it difficult for the good stuff to shine.<\/p>\n

So, yes. Salespeople need to be good writers.<\/p>\n

\u201cSalespeople of my age or older will tell you that one of the reasons they got into sales was because they weren\u2019t good at math or English,\u201d Leese said. Charm and an ability to talk were more than enough.<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t fly these days.<\/p>\n

Salespeople can fight the saturation battle by providing high-quality, targeted content that is well-written and focuses on\u00a0Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Leese said he also maintains a strong sales personal brand. In fact, he’s been writing posts on his\u00a0LinkedIn profile<\/a>\u00a0for years and currently boasts 125,000 followers. \u201cAll of my business comes through these social platforms,\u201d he added. \u201cIf I didn\u2019t know how to write and didn\u2019t practice it, that\u2019s a whole channel that disappears.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"So,<\/h2>\n

So, What Other Skills Do Modern Salespeople Need?<\/h2>\n

The modern sales archetype requires a mix of essential sales skills that go far beyond persuasion and product knowledge.<\/p>\n

Constant Curiosity and Creativity<\/h3>\n

Salespeople must be in learning and experimentation mode, 100% of the time. Leese acknowledged that reading a book or studying online is difficult when a salesperson is expected to execute all day long.<\/p>\n

But finding salespeople with a\u00a0continuous learning mindset<\/a>\u00a0is important.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou’re driving around, shuttling your kids all over the place. Are you listening to music? Or are you listening to a podcast about the latest and greatest (sales) tools?\u201d he said. \u201cI am constantly trying to find ways to insert learning into my day.\u201d<\/p>\n

The best salespeople today are also creative salespeople \u2014 designing personalized outreach strategies, experimenting with new channels, and finding innovative ways to start conversations. Instead of following a script, they tailor approaches for each prospect, blending storytelling, social proof, and even\u00a0content assets<\/a>\u00a0to spark interest and build trust.<\/p>\n

Personal Branding Capacity<\/h3>\n

What is the role of personal branding in sales? The short answer is that sales branding gets your sales team (and by extension, your company) noticed, especially in a competitive industry.<\/p>\n

The longer answer is that sales teams that\u00a0focus on personal branding<\/a>\u00a0are considered more reliable, credible, and trustworthy by their customers.<\/p>\n

Leese boosts his personal brand with LinkedIn posts and comments. The social media platform is also a source for generating leads. When people tag him with questions on other social media platforms like Instagram, he suggests they direct message him on LinkedIn. \u201cIf they’re willing to take that extra step, then I feel like they’re a little bit more serious and a bit more qualified as a lead,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Leese\u2019s branding and LinkedIn network (what he calls the \u201cnetwork playbook\u201d) can shorten sales cycles.<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n