I have sold everything from off road gear, to uniforms, to rugs, to medical supplies and equipment. I've even consulted some companies on software sales, retail sales, and liquor sales. I've found that a Sale, is a Sale, is a Sale. The process may be slightly different but the goal is the same. Some sales cycles are short, some are long, but you still have the same objectives in mind. People who have a longer more involved sales cycle like to claim they are better sales people, but seriously they're not. They just have a longer cycle and it's more complicated but that doesn't make them a better sales person.
One of the best sales people I know, began his career as a car salesman. And a used car salesman to boot. Yep, he worked for years in car sales, then transitioned to uniform sales, and became one of the best closers on government accounts I have ever had the pleasure of working with. He signed more large accounts for the company we both worked for, than anyone in the West. He went to Presidents Club eight years in a row, which was unheard of at the time, and he would have gone ten more times if they wouldn't have started messing with his pay.
So what did he do differently when he was selling cars to selling government contracts? Not much. He just learned a new sales process and applied all his knowledge and experience to be successful in a new environment. He was not a college graduate, and barely graduated from high school but he understood people and related well to them. Today, they would say he had a high degree of emotional intelligence.
When I was getting ready to leave industrial services and go into medical sales, I was concerned that my sales skills wouldn't transition well to the medical field. So I asked him what he did to make the transition from car sales to uniforms sales to National Sales.
"I remember three words that I learned in car sales, and I still use to this day. If you just think of these three words everyday when you're selling you'll do great! They're honesty, singularity, and integrity. I live by those three words, and it's what makes me successful. I'm not very bright so I like to keep it simple. I can only remember three things at a time that's why I always forget the name of my youngest daughter. She's the fourth you know." , he said and then he laughed.
We talked for a long time about what those three words meant to him, and I can't remember all that he said, but I do remember how he interpreted those words and the crux of what they meant to his success. I have paraphrased what was said during our "fireside chats" below:
Honesty - Let's face it, we are not always honest all of the time. We tell little white lies in our personal lives to people we love, in order to make them feel better or to avoid conflict. Yet honesty in the sales process is critical because if customers or prospects discover that you're dishonest about any little thing, you will never make the sale. Even if it's an innocent mistake about what your software, service, or product does, they don't interpret it as a mistake, but a LIE. I know this is a catch phrase but "total transparency" is necessary in order to you to be successful in sales. You cannot hide inconsistencies in a product or service because you may make the sale but you'll lose the customer in the long run. So if your selling software don't promise that your product does something it doesn't. Focus on what it can do, not what it cannot do.
It is more important to be honest than to be effective. If people believe you and trust you, that's half the battle in the sales arena.
Singularity - Not everyone remembers the guy who just gave a stellar presentation about his company, but didn't cover what makes them different from the competition. They remember the guy who showed why his company was singularly the best choice for the customer's needs. That's who they remember!
Interviewers don't remember the person who sent the "thank you" email to them, but they do remember the person who had already prepared a thank you card and handed it to them following the interview. It may not get you the job but you'll be remembered, that's for certain.
YOU NEED TO STAND OUT! And that doesn't mean wear flamboyant clothes or make up that makes you look like a circus clown. Just like the words on this page you and your company need to stick in the conscious memory of your customer or prospect. In addition, you need to position your product or service as the only choice for the customer/prospects needs. Otherwise, you're just another sales person pitching a product. You might as well be selling a "Bass-O-Matic", like Dan Akroyd on SNL.
Integrity - The definition of integrity as defined by Webster's as "the state of being whole and undivided". For many it has to do with honesty but for him it had to do with following through on his commitments. That he would act with the whole of his being and character to fulfill the needs of his customers, his family, and his friends. Here are a few of his thoughts about integrity.
"If you tell people you are going to be there at 2, you show up at 1:45."
"Your customer needs the product by Wednesday then you deliver in on Tuesday."
"A doctor needs something for a patient, but you're out of town. Yet you find a way to get it to her."
"You tell your kids you're going to be at their game, then make damn sure you make it to that game."
"Your friend's husband is sick and in the hospital, then you had better be there to support her. "
Acting with integrity in everything you do will make a big difference not only in your sales numbers but throughout your career. Keep in mind that if you follow through on your commitments people will respect you more, work with you more, and buy from you.
I took those three words and when I transitioned to medical sales, I lived by them. They helped me grow my territory by almost 60% in the first six months. It made the transition easier, and in reality the job easier as well. I qualified for Presidents Club, and sat at our CEO's table at the National Sales Meeting. It was exciting, and all because of three simple words.
Remember that a sale, is a sale, is a sale, and if you act with honesty, singularity, and integrity, you will be successful no matter what you're selling.
Have a great day!
No comments:
Post a Comment