21st century selling
Please, Please Please. Stop selling likes it’s 1999! There are far too many salespeople who still think that the things that were successful in the 1990s still apply to effectively selling to customers today in 2020.
Breaking news the 20th century is over. If we want to keep helping our customers solve their problems, we need to start thinking like 21st century professionals.
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The Covid Opportunity
While a global pandemic is a terrible thing there are also some great positive possibilities.
I have helped business build very successful remote sales systems for more than 2 decades. While the world has rapidly changed for many people, those who had already embraced remote selling didn’t skip a beat.
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Service is everything
To lead is to serve. I know some people would disagree but if you really think about it, the leading businesses all have one thing in common. They all serve their customers better than anyone else.
How can you develop a business culture of service? It starts from the top. Lead by example. As the business leader you must serve your people just as much as you serve your customers.
Here are 5 ways you can improve your level of service.
Needs without Wants
Far too often sales leaders teach their reps to uncover their customers needs. Unfortunately, there is a big problem with this. Think about it in your own life. When you need something to you go out of your way to get it right then and there? Or do you put it off until later?
For example, if you have a leaky faucet do you fix as soon as you discover it or do you wait until it gets worse? For most people if the problem is not to painful, they wait until the pain becomes unbearable. Then and only then are they ready to do something about it.
But when you want something. You will do what it takes to get it as soon as possible.
The same principals apply to sales.
What is Value?
Too often sales professionals are told by their leaders that they must create value. However, there is a fundamental problem with this advice. Value is not what you say it is. Value is what the customer says it is. If you don’t understand what is of value to the customer you are just doing a lot of talking.
Sometimes what you need is a little grease
Many business owners and sales executives face an all to common problem. Far too many of the opportunities in their sales pipeline are stuck. They look like great opportunities but the sales just are not coming in. How can you unstick these opportunities and turn them in to revenue?
Maybe what you need is a little outside help?
If you have ever encountered a door with a hinge that just won’t move no matter how much force you apply. Adding a little grease can make it move just like new.
Sometimes as business owners and sales executives you can get so close to things that you are not able to see the solutions to problems that may arise.
Someone who can review the situation with fresh eyes maybe be able to help you see a solution you not even aware of.
Sometimes when you get a fresh perspective on a situation the new set of eyes can see easily see if what you need is just a little grease to get things moving smoothly again.
If you have some challenges closing your sales opportunities we may be able to help.
What do your employees do, and why do they do it?
You may be surprised, but too often executives and business owners cannot answer this question. They often have vague ideas, but not a definitive answer.
The reason I ask this question is if you as the executive do not know the answer to this question how are your employees going to know?
One reason this question is so hard to answer is as the business has grown employees just do what has to be done. But sometimes it is not the most effective, or efficient thing to do. The business processes grew organically, but without taking the bigger growth plan into account.
Often there is no defined business process, or any formal training provided. This creates an environment where things can get missed. When things get missed mistakes happen. Mistakes can cost your business a lot of money. You can minimize, or even completely avoid mistakes when you have well defined business processes, and a properly trained staff.
Building efficient and effective business processes takes time. When you invest the time to ensure your employees fully understand the what, why, and how of their contributions, the business is more profitable. The next time someone asks you what do your employees do you’ll be able to clearly explaining what each one does, how they do it, and why they do it.
Your business will be better, and more profitable because of your well made investment in efficent business processes.
Do you have a sales process or a list of ideas?
A process is a logical progression of steps. A list of ideas could be developed into a process, but is still just a list.
How do you know when your process is really just a list?
7 General Orders of Sales Leadership
There is a new book available called No Limit-7 General Orders of Sales Leadership.
The book is available at Amazon.
In this book a number of principles are outlined for successfully leading a modern sales force.
There are ideas about modern prospecting, presenting, and even storytelling as an effective sales tool.
There is also information about how to effectively motivate your team for maximum performance.
You can get the book from Amazon for the kindle or in paperback.
Highly recommended.