Michael Johnson Sales Solutions
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So wants to help... Is she really selling?
Jana is typical of today’s average salesperson. Like Bill, deep down she wants to be liked. That’s understandable, we all want to be liked. But being helpful in and of itself is not selling and it is costly.
Selling can be a cat and mouse game. Neither party wants to be taken advantage of so both holds their cards close to their chest. Salespeople know that they must somehow gain the customer’s confidence. Many times the salesperson’s way to overcome the customer’s distrust is to be overly helpful. They shower the customer with literature, specifications, informational meetings, samples, demos, etc; demanding nothing in return. Their hope is that the customer will think; “Look at all the things the salesperson is doing for me, I think I will give them an order!” Unfortunately the customer is most likely thinking; “This is great...free consulting. I want more!” And because it is free, what do you think the customer thinks it is worth? You guessed it; nothing, nada, zilch. And it is not the customer’s fault. It is the salesperson’s. They didn’t put a value on it. They required nothing of the customer. True selling is a balanced give and take interaction. Both parties must have “skin in the game.” As an example, let’s suppose that a customer telephones for some literature and the ever helpful salesperson gladly sends it to them. What is the literature really worth to the customer. Right again; nothing, nada, zilch. He or she was not required to do anything with it. No value was placed on the literature. On the other hand what if the salesperson put a value on the literature by asking some probing questions and then setting an appointment to discuss the customer’s reaction to the literature? Suddenly the literature becomes valuable. The customer has skin in the game. He or she must be ready to discuss it. Because the interaction is balanced, it suddenly becomes valuable to both parties. That is true selling and it is fair. iSell™ teaches salespeople to qualify each opportunity for needs, ramifications, implications, consequences, money, decision making process and to build strong relationships at all levels within the customer’s organization. iAM™ gives them the confidence and attitude to maintain the balanced interaction that is characteristic of strategic partnerships. |