|
|
|
10 Ways To Kick The Procrastination Habit
I recently read about a survey (by the University of Chicago) which suggested that those who relish challenge are more likely to live up to 10 years longer than those who spend their lives inhibited by timidity. Trying to realise our...
5 Exceptional Bonuses That Will Increase Your Sales!
Do bonuses really work? At least once a week we get asked about the common approach to offering bonuses -- has this technique been overused? My answer is always the same... Crappy, freely available, 3rd party bonuses are definitely...
6 Surefire Ways to Achieve Your Goals for 2005
Hope you had a good rest and are all fired up for the year ahead. Whilst you were sitting on the beach or lazing around during your time off, which of the following changes to your life did you decide to make this year? To have the body of Elle...
7 Strategies for Handling Last Minute Meetings
Have you ever found yourself having to scramble to organize a meeting at the last minute? Wouldn’t it be nice that if and when this daunting situation arose, you were well prepared with all necessary information ready at your fingertips? That’s...
Create a Positive, Upbeat, "Can-Do" Workforce and Dazzle the Customer with Your Caring!
Given the choice of dealing with a positive, upbeat employee with a "can-do" attitude or dealing with a disgruntled, distracted, uninterested one, which would you choose? No contest. Customers always want the best experience possible; they want...
People Skills Drive Leadership Success
Most people aspire to be effective in their work efforts. They get a good education, learn important technical skills, and stay up on the latest industry trends. These are all important steps to a person’s success in business and yet,… As a person...
Soft E-mail selling skills coaching
I have been operating on the web for quite a while and i have seen spam time and time again,, but recently i have been learning Soft E mail selling skills from a guy i met in an internet cafe. I have been trading my seo skills on one of his...
The Ultimate Career Builder
THE ULTIMATE CAREER BUILDER. See full color web version at: http://www.SeniorManagementServices.com/pvt-105-career-builder.html Last week, I discussed "Success is no Accident." My message was that according to research, most businesses fail...
Top 10 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make Before They Even Start
So you want to start a business. You have an idea. Lets say you want to be a carpenter. You print some brochures, some business cards, and take out an ad in the Yellow Pages. You pay $600 for a website and a domain name that tells everyone about...
Why Aren't You Using Online Fitness Coaching?
If I were to tell you that you could burn away as much fat as
possible by sitting at your computer twiddling your fingers and
toes, would you believe me? Well I sure hope you don't!
However, losing weight in the confines of your own home at...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sales Force of the Future -- "It's Not About Selling"
Copyright 2005 Rick Johnson
Jeff Gitomer coined the phrase at a recent convention: "It's not about what you are selling, it's about what the customer is buying."
In reality, the customer is not buying your product, he is buying fulfillment for a need. Salespeople need to diagnose customers' business needs and create solutions that help improve customers' business performance. What is the customer really buying? Thomas Winninger, America's marketing strategist states it simply with the following examples:
"BMW doesn't sell cars, their customers buy a driving experience."
"Kodak doesn't sell film, their customers buy a magic moment."
"Hertz doesn't rent cars, they get you out of the airport faster."
Nowadays, salespeople must be problem solvers able to generate solutions for customers in their time of need. Therefore, they must possess a great deal of knowledge about their customers' business. Often, they must actually define what those needs are because the customer may not know, nor take the time to explain. Customers want the "Sales Force of the Future" to have the knowledge and intelligence to comprehend and analyze their problems before showing up at the door. Customers will listen and buy from the salesperson that finds the "pain" and takes it away. They want solution providers, not the "coolest technology" with three adjustable speeds.
The "Sales Force of the Future" recognizes that it's not about what you are selling. It's not all about the product. They are knowledgeable about the customer's problem, what he/she is really buying, and translates the solution into the sale.
Old and New Formulas
As today's sales environment leans toward a more multifaceted atmosphere, salespeople must become strategists with a plan. This plan requires more knowledge about the business, better relationships and better solutions. Some old school salesmen may believe they know what it takes. They have the experience. They've been around a long time. They also may be wrong. The world is changing. The "Sales Force of the Future" is doing things differently. They recognize we can't afford to become complacent. Complacency destroys competitive advantage. As sales professionals, we can't become full of ourselves, no matter how long we've been in the field, no matter how much experience we have. Thomas Winninger emphasizes my point in telling the story of the tortoise and the hare.
In the fable The Tortoise and the Hare, the tortoise didn't win the race. The hare lost it. He lost it because he was stupid. He was too busy looking over his shoulder wondering what the tortoise was doing instead of taking advantage of his strengths. He was better, faster, quicker and smarter - but he forgot, he became complacent.
On the flip side, the "Sales Force of the Future" understands that everyday is a new learning experience. In the old days when I was a salesman growing up in distribution, sales success had a simple formula: Relationship Selling. A mentor of mine drilled that formula into my head.
Formula of Past Success: Develop a strong relationship with your customer, make friends with him, and he will find a way to buy from you.
Relationships alone will not get you the sale today. Of course, they are still very important, especially to get a chance to even apply today's formula for success. Today's formula is just as simple as in the past, but remember, it's not about what you are selling, it's about what the customer is buying. Figure out what he is buying - what solution the customer needs.
Formula of the "Sales Force of the Future:" Figure out what the customer is really buying. Become a total solution provider by taking away the pain.
Find the pain and make it go away, even if it has nothing to do with your product. It's about being a total solution provider. Today's formula works because it creates competitive advantage. It is the secret to success for the "Sales Force of the Future."
In times past, salespeople were trained to focus on their product. They knew everything about it - what features it had, the benefits, how long it could last and what the red button did when pressed. Salespeople talked about the product until they were blue in the face. Armed with brochures and warranties, they were ready to attack. But, in today's environment, customers want more, not just the latest technology and the best "widget" a person can buy. They want complete solutions to all their problems. Suddenly, the brochure and other marketing materials are simply support functions. Buyers are more educated, more professional and seek more than just products. They want efficiencies, market share and profit generation.
As Jeff Gitomer says, "You cannot puke all over your customers with features and benefits." In the old days, we were taught to spray the purchasing agent's office with talk about these features and benefits. When they asked questions we were trained to watch their lips, and when they took a breath, that was our sign to talk some more. In contrast, the "Sales
Force of the Future" needs to LISTEN more than 80% of the time. UNDERSTAND the customer's behavior, goals, industry, problems, his way of thinking, how he makes money, his customer's customers, and ultimately, their problems. Again, it's about what the customer is buying.
Caution: The Solution May Not Be What it Seems
That is why it is important that the "Sales Force of the Future" understands the customer's customer and the customer's industry. Sometimes a solution that seems obvious is obviously wrong. My eight-year-old grandson, Zayne, drove that point home to me just last week. We got in the car to go down to the store. Being a responsible grandfather, I put him in the back seat and told him to buckle his seat belt. "Gee, Grandpa we're only going down to the store on the corner. Do I have to?" "Zayne," I replied, "It's a proven fact that more than 75% of accidents happen within 20 miles of your home." With the seriousness and pure innocence of an eight-year-old, Zayne looked at me puzzled and said, "Then why don't we just move? "
Finding the Pain
Be more knowledgeable and conscious of your customer's problem. You're no longer selling a product, you're selling a solution to make their life easier, happier, better, less complicated, or more fun. By understanding the customer's business and his customers, you help them make a profit through both cost reductions, improved efficiencies, increased value and increased sales. Those solutions come in many forms and may have nothing to do with your product. That's okay. Look for the pain regardless of what it is and focus on the solution.
Customers don't want products, they want profits - or ways to make profits. They want satisfaction, feelings of comfort, pride, praise and self-esteem. They are people just like us. Well, maybe they don't have the same crazy genetics that we have as salespeople, but they are just as smart, just as caring and have similar personal needs and feelings.
So, how do salespeople find the customer's pain and identify the problem? How do we figure out what they are really buying? You gain much of this knowledge by listening. I mean really listening. You don't focus on pushing product. You focus on the customer and what he is telling you. You research his industry. You talk to his customers and even his competitors, but carefully. Once you have this knowledge and understand your customer completely, you can provide intelligent solutions to almost any challenge. You have raised your customer's expectations of you and your company, which creates competitive advantage. It's all about value - not the value-added built into your product or your service, but it's about adding value to a situation, to your relationship. Do this and you create a real partnership with your customer and his company.
It's Not Rocket Science
Steps to follow:
Relationships are still very important - Build them.
Analyze the situation - Understand the customer's problem before you talk about the solution. Listen, listen, listen.
Be familiar with the customer's past, present and future goals and adjust accordingly.
Put yourself in their shoes. What would you want to hear? What would you do?
Talk to the "head man" - the hub - the one who makes the decisions and knows the company inside and out.
Know the industry - Talk to your customer's customers.
Do your homework - Surf the net and do research. Learn your customer's business, his market, his competition, how he makes a profit, his customer and, most importantly, his personal pain in doing business.
As stated earlier, relationships are still important. In fact, there should be multiple layers of relationships between your customer's firm and yours, not just one. What's the difference today? The relationship is just the ante to play in the world of professional sales. Once we've established those relationships, we must manage them well to provide maximum value to our customers.
The lone wolf sales approach of the past, the one I too grew up using, won't work in today's environment. The "Sales Force of the Future" understands that. Times have changed. Consolidations continue to occur. Purchasing is a profession. Customers are smarter. They gain more market power everyday. The "Sales Force of the Future" understands that it is no longer about Power & Politics, it's now about Principle & Process. Success for the "Sales Force of the Future" depends on an architecture aligned with customers' needs and profit opportunities. Remember, it's not about what you are selling!
Dr. Eric “Rick” Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in Distribution. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with distributor executives in board representation, executive coaching, team coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to create or maintain competitive advantage. You can contact them by calling 352-750-0868, or visit http://www.ceostrategist.com for more information.
|
|
|
|
|
|