Whenever I ask salespeople in my seminars what they believe to be Job 1 in successful selling, the typical response is “to hit my target/quota” or “to achieve my budget”.  While I agree that in order for businesses to survive let alone prosper, certain revenue goals must be met, my belief is that this imperative is actually Job 2.

Consider this as the real priority:  “Job 1 is to create the environment where the customer wants to do business with you”.  Why?  Because if you don’t create that environment based on Relationship, Trust, and Comfort, your chances of hitting revenue targets will be compromised at best.

Many complain that the telecom/wireless industries have become commoditized, and that our products and services are simply commodities … easy to believe in today’s competitive market and tough economy.  The problem remains one of understanding our tendency to forget that in fact we as salespeople are our number one product … People don’t do business with a particular company.  They do business with you.  In truth, when you lose sight of the importance of you in the sale, and focus only on products and services, it’s not so much that these things are really commodities, it’s more likely that you in practice have commoditized the customer!

“Successful selling is not product push, it’s relationship pull.”

We must establish relationships first, and “earn the right” to recommend our products and services as they apply to our customers’  needs and wants.  We must set ourselves apart as true professionals by exercising a consultative approach in our customer dialogue.  They want to feel that we really care about them and their challenges more than we do about selling our product … that we are in fact their partner with a legitimate and sincere focus on them.  This is where you start to separate value from price.

It’s all about attitude. Tthe pose you strike, the posture you assume, the perspective you choose, the behaviour you model and the temperament you display all speak volumes about your attitude.  It’s your attitude that will determine your ability to address Job 1.  Your attitude will be the number one factor in the customer’s mind in judging whether or not to buy from you.  They’ll make very quick judgement on the “Factors of Your Credibility”:

Appearance – Including clothing (dress for success), hygiene, facial expression (smile), handshake, eye contact, posture …

Knowledge – Of your customer first, products and services second

People Skills – It’s more important for the customer to feel comfortable with us as people than for us to feel comfortable with them.  How adaptable are you to the different styles/types of people you deal with?

Honesty & Integrity – Selling the right product to the right customer; doing what you say you’ll do when you say you’ll do it.

Are these fundamental things you already know?  Likely.  But it’s the basics that set us apart as people.  It’s relationship that adds value when product differentiation is often indiscernible between suppliers.  Remember, we’re not in the telecom/wireless business serving people, we’re in the people business providing wireless solutions.

George Bernard Shaw, the great Irish playwright and philosopher offered:  “The people who succeed in life and business look for the circumstances they need to do so, and when they can’t find them, they create them.”

Start to create these circumstances by continuously running a “check-up from the neck up” on attitude, personal credibility and accountability to higher standards for your number one product … you!

Make your success non-negotiable by always addressing Job 1 and above all …

Keep aiming high

By Paul McCabe – Compass Performance Solutions