The selling profession is a complicated business and it is often misunderstood. Trying to make sense out of why people buy from one organization as opposed to another can be mystifying, especially when the products and prices are similar. In the end, however, it’s not that complicated. It comes down to trust and relationships. No matter how many so-called experts try to take feelings and perceptions out of the selling equation, they can’t.
We hear all sorts of whining these days from salespeople about how competitors have won business unfairly. They blame others for their own incompetence. Most successful salespeople are fierce competitors and they know they will lose out on a sale from time to time. They don’t go around sulking and feeling depressed; they just get on with calling the next customer. There are all sorts of approaches to selling. Some salespeople have a soft approach; others are more aggressive. There is no fixed formula for selling. That doesn’t mean we cannot learn how to do it better.
You need to shift from being a vendor mindset to an advisor mindset. A vendor simply supplies a product whilst an advisor supplies true advantage. For example, an advisor will recommend what is best for the customer, not best for the salesperson. In some cases that might mean telling your customer that your company is not the best fit for the customer’s needs and then recommending one of your competitors. Remember that the future is all about relationships. As we get more technical and more global, relationships you build with your customers are what will keep your company profitable. Relationships are all about trust and you gain trust by earning it. So never teach your customers to distrust you by stretching the truth or hiding some pertinent information. To differentiate, you need to raise the bar on trust.
Be careful of what we say. We all have experienced a breakdown in communication with someone during which we totally “lost it”. Think about the last time you were in reaction. It may have been in a classroom or learning situation when an upset student asked an angry or irate question. It may have been during a family argument of some type with either a significant other or children. It may have been in a difficult workplace situation with coworkers or a boss. It may have been with a friend. Friendships are sometimes never repaired after such breakdowns.
When there is a communication breakdown in the workplace, it is important to understand what went wrong and how you contributed to what did not work. A breakdown during which you totally lose it usually occurs when you are surprised or caught totally off guard by another person. In this situation, an angry or accusatory question or statement may be spoken. When your response is dismissive or sarcastic, it exacerbates high levels of emotion that lead to defensiveness.
There can be physiological responses in these stressful situations that provide clues that a problem is emerging. Heat may rise in your neck or face. The tonality and volume of your voice may increase. Once you learn these signs, you can choose a different response.
In conclusion, if we are not good in the Hard Parts, try the best that we can to be good in the Soft Parts, that is Human Relations and Public Relations. This will plants trust in people’s mind. It is a positive deposit in emotional bank account.
Competence in sales depends on how well salespeople master several areas, one of which is the people side of selling. Most sales training focused on product knowledge and the technical aspects of the job. However, research on emotional intelligence demonstrates that 70 percent of sales success depends on how well salespeople manage themselves and their relationships with other people.
Professional selling is a people business. As a salesperson, you sell products, but you serve people. There are a number of things you can do to build your relationship with your customer. There are 5 things that you can apply immediately to build a stronger relationship with your customers. There are namely,
1. Listen more, talk less
2. Perform acts of consideration
3. Use entertainment to your advantages
4. Offer preferential treatment to your top customers
5. Offer your customers business-building ideas, instead of just your products
We hear all sorts of whining these days from salespeople about how competitors have won business unfairly. They blame others for their own incompetence. Most successful salespeople are fierce competitors and they know they will lose out on a sale from time to time. They don’t go around sulking and feeling depressed; they just get on with calling the next customer. There are all sorts of approaches to selling. Some salespeople have a soft approach; others are more aggressive. There is no fixed formula for selling. That doesn’t mean we cannot learn how to do it better.
You need to shift from being a vendor mindset to an advisor mindset. A vendor simply supplies a product whilst an advisor supplies true advantage. For example, an advisor will recommend what is best for the customer, not best for the salesperson. In some cases that might mean telling your customer that your company is not the best fit for the customer’s needs and then recommending one of your competitors. Remember that the future is all about relationships. As we get more technical and more global, relationships you build with your customers are what will keep your company profitable. Relationships are all about trust and you gain trust by earning it. So never teach your customers to distrust you by stretching the truth or hiding some pertinent information. To differentiate, you need to raise the bar on trust.
Be careful of what we say. We all have experienced a breakdown in communication with someone during which we totally “lost it”. Think about the last time you were in reaction. It may have been in a classroom or learning situation when an upset student asked an angry or irate question. It may have been during a family argument of some type with either a significant other or children. It may have been in a difficult workplace situation with coworkers or a boss. It may have been with a friend. Friendships are sometimes never repaired after such breakdowns.
When there is a communication breakdown in the workplace, it is important to understand what went wrong and how you contributed to what did not work. A breakdown during which you totally lose it usually occurs when you are surprised or caught totally off guard by another person. In this situation, an angry or accusatory question or statement may be spoken. When your response is dismissive or sarcastic, it exacerbates high levels of emotion that lead to defensiveness.
There can be physiological responses in these stressful situations that provide clues that a problem is emerging. Heat may rise in your neck or face. The tonality and volume of your voice may increase. Once you learn these signs, you can choose a different response.
In conclusion, if we are not good in the Hard Parts, try the best that we can to be good in the Soft Parts, that is Human Relations and Public Relations. This will plants trust in people’s mind. It is a positive deposit in emotional bank account.
Competence in sales depends on how well salespeople master several areas, one of which is the people side of selling. Most sales training focused on product knowledge and the technical aspects of the job. However, research on emotional intelligence demonstrates that 70 percent of sales success depends on how well salespeople manage themselves and their relationships with other people.
Professional selling is a people business. As a salesperson, you sell products, but you serve people. There are a number of things you can do to build your relationship with your customer. There are 5 things that you can apply immediately to build a stronger relationship with your customers. There are namely,
1. Listen more, talk less
2. Perform acts of consideration
3. Use entertainment to your advantages
4. Offer preferential treatment to your top customers
5. Offer your customers business-building ideas, instead of just your products
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