Let’s begin with this premise. I strongly believe that the keys to success in sales have absolutely nothing to do with conventional sales training and tactics. NOTHING.
I have spent my entire professional life in sales starting with retail and then moving to B2B in 1977. During this time I was put through countless sales training programs and I even taught selling at the university level. Been there, done that.
Certainly, my approach to selling has evolved over the years. Still, to paraphrase, everything that I learned in kindergarten are the same skills that I embrace as my personal selling foundations.
Be humble and be real – Yes, you can still display confidence.
Be responsive & be on time – I simply cannot understand why the new norms seem to be showing up fashionably late, responding whenever you feel like it, or not at all.
Keep your promises – Do what you say you will and and when you said you would do it. Simple.
Listening – How can you possibly present the most effective solution without first listening to your client’s needs, goals, and challenges?
Show genuine interest in others – Are you more interested in talking about yourself and your services rather than those of your clients? If so, I pity you and I pity your pipeline.
Place the interest of others above self – If your service is not in the best interest of your clients … say so.
Never be afraid to say “no” or “I don’t know, but I’ll find out” – Saying either of these makes you human and builds trust. Finding out answers demonstrates that you can follow-up, follow-thru, and it also creates another touch point. Winner. Winner.
Clarify your understanding – This holds true for both questions and objections which, in fact, are often questions. “I want to make sure that I understand your question. Is it … and what more can you tell me about that?”
Acknowledge concerns – Like it or not, concerns are valid and you can choose to ignore them at your own peril.
Under promise and over perform – As a rule, if I think it will take me a week to do something, I will quote 10 days. Then I will deliver in 7.
Exceed client expectations – There are only 3 possible outcomes from any client engagement. You either did not meet, met, or exceeded their expectations. Only one will earn you repeat business and referrals.
Educate – Unless you are selling canned corn, there is a reasonable chance that your client knows very little about your product or service. Sure, there are exceptions to this rule, but regardless, taking the time to educate your client on the pros and cons of your offering, in plain English, will be much appreciated!
Share reasonable expectations – If you do not share with your clients reasonable expectations of what happens next and when, your entire process, I can guarantee that they will: do it themselves, not tell you, and it will never be good for you.
Be a team player – Moving from being viewed as a team member rather than as a salesperson is very powerful indeed!
In all likelihood, I have left some out so please feel free to add your own. You might have also noticed that these same characteristics are vital in personal as well as in business relationships. Selling is personal and relationships are how you will build your business. Or not. Up to you!
Most importantly, all of these characteristics are designed to build trust. I might know you. I might even like you. But, if I don’t trust you …
If you would like to explore whether or not Nimble CRM, my sales training, or Sales Coach Pro might be right for you, please book a free 30-minute Zoom consultation with me by going to my calendar.
To learn more about our Nimble training and implementation services, please visit our Nimble CRM training services page.
I would also be happy to connect you to a marketing professional who I know and trust or to an automated yet personalized and human-to-human LinkedIn prospecting system. Please reach out to me at craig@adaptive-business.com for an introduction!
Craig M. Jamieson
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