There are many companies that claim to offer the products and services your customers need. Yet, all too often the strategy of the sales force is to battle the competition on capabilities and pricing in order to capture the customer’s business.
Reality is, that succeeding in today’s marketplace is not about price. It’s not even about products.
Instead, success means being able to understand the complex problems that customers face and be able to sort through the available alternatives. The talented sales professional is able to help the customer in this respect, and creates a solution that the customer would not have been able to come up with on their own.
The Role of Talented Sales Professionals
The starting point is to put yourself in your customer's place. To recognize a talented sales professional, focus on the needs of the customer. This is the only true way to understand how to distinguish between a talented sales professional, who can impact the customer’s bottom line and the conventional sales person.
As a customer, what do you expect from the sales professionals who ask for your time? If you haven't considered this, you should. If you have, your answer would probably be “Well, I expect them to answer my questions, sell me the product or service I need, charge a fair price, deliver on time and follow through on promises.”
This sounds reasonable for the most part, but in today’s complex business world, selling has changed. The sales person, who used to give Powerpoint presentations and leave brochures on your deskhave not changed into that of a trusted advsior and know how to turn their products and services into a competitive advantage for the customer. If your sales people are not, you are likely regarded as a commodity supplier by your customers.
The Talented Sales Professional Collaborates
It is this characteristic, the ability to collaborate with the customer, stimulate their thinking and create revenue-building solutions that they don’t have the time or the resources to create for themselves, that the customer should look for in sales professionals who they want to work with. This kind of sales person is able to provide a competitive advantage for the customer’s company. They don’t sit across the desk from the customer, spewing information and hoping for a commission. They actually become an integral part of the customer’s business, making their life easier and contributing to their measurable success. It is the savvy salesperson who knows that the sales process is not “done to the customer,” but “with the customer.”
