What Is Your Sales Paradigm?
This article is specifically for two types of people; the person who has to sell and doesn’t love it, and the person who is responsible for people that need to sell but don’t like it.
Salespeople and the sales process is interesting. I have only met a few people who love to sell. Many business owners see it as a necessary evil. Some professionals believe if you provide a good service, business will come to you and selling is unnecessary. If fact, there are those that believe if you have to sell your service to be successful your service is mediocre.
Negative stereotypes of salespeople also contribute to the dislike of sales. Many think of salespeople as being pushy, money driven, overbearing, greedy, manipulative, self-centered, impolite, and dishonest. Certainly there are some in the industry that have given rise to this description. So who wants to be a salesperson? Probably not you or your team members.
Allow me to paint another picture of sales and salespeople. Please clear your mind of your current beliefs and thoughts. I want to shift your paradigm. I view sales as one of the most honorable professions in the world. A great, professional sales person has a focus and passion to solve problems and help people. They are great listeners, extremely curious and responsive, and are a delight. They truly care about the customer and what they want.
In this new paradigm, it is difficult to differentiate sales and customer service. It is the same process…the only difference is the customer has not purchased yet. The professional salesperson is kind and considerate. She gains permission from the customer before she offers help and advice. She asks great questions and listens carefully and deeply. She only offers products and services that match the customer’s wants and needs. Her goal is to help the customer get what they want. She seeks full and complete customer service and astonishment.
If you are not professionally selling, you are depriving people of your products and services. If you have great services and products, why would you refuse to learn how to educate, communicate, and make it easy for people to buy from you? People often don’t know how to do business with you. It is your responsibility to make it easy to buy from you. That is sales.
If you have sales responsibilities, then think of sales as customer service. If you are a leader or business owner, invest in developing your team’s sales skills. Great salespeople are a help, joy and a blessing. They are a key to creating and sustaining a successful business.
