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Tip
of the Month: May 2007
The New Sales Revolution
Youíre in or you're on the way out
Dear Friends,
“How many calls did you make today?” Forget it. It’s
old school thinking. Selling, as we once knew it is dying, and the hard sell “pusher” that
we once recognized as the stereotypical salesperson is dying right along with
their archaic strategy. Today, potential buyers, clients, customers, call them
what you want, are more sophisticated, intelligent, and informed. Information
is at their fingertips and they are able to access it quickly. Because of this,
they are armed, ready, have far more options and limited time and patience. You
had better be good at what you do because most potential customers have done
their homework. Whether you are in an industry that sells directly to consumers
or business to business, it’s the buyers who are qualifying the salespeople,
making sure that they are good enough to serve them.
If you are in sales, here are a few warning signs that you are dead and you don’t
even know it:
- You spend the majority of your time cold calling.
- A key measurement by your manager is the amount of cold calls that
you make.
- The entire marketing strategy of your organization is push, push,
push.
- You and your peer group are proud of your ability to “pitch” your
products and your hard sell approach to closing customers.
Friends, if you fit into the above, you have a lot in common with the evolution
of the dinosaur and will come to intimately understand their plight.
The best salespeople will think strategically about their position in the
market, their ability to attract to their customer profile. Smart salespeople
will focus on visibility as they promote their unique approach to meeting
customers’ needs. Smart salespeople will be there to pull their new
customers in when they are ready to buy. They will market to create visibility
by using multiple resources. They focus on solving problems for their customers – removing
their pain with a customized solution. When opportunity strikes, they are
EXTREMELY OPPORTUNISTIC. I know all about hard sell salespeople. I used
to be one, but I joined the revolution.
All the best my friends.
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