Your customers desperately want this from you, but never tell you
We started this year off with a very specific focus. I went back over my 30 years of working in and around salespeople to come up with the absolute top focus areas that work. Not just once in a while, but work all the time, every time. They may seem like the basics, and they are. However, your competition is not doing them and your customers are desperately wanting you to implement them. The problem is that customers will never tell you that’s what they want.
We all struggle to set ourselves apart from competition and catch the eye of our customers without being salesy. The three focus areas that top sales performers use to gain a competitive advantage and sustain it over a career.
#1 Bring all their resources to the sale. All departments, All product lines, All services.
#2 Shift from price, product and feature dumping in the friend zone to personal branding as THE Trusted Advisor in your market.
#3 Customized Development. Specific to your product line in your market, up against your competition.
Do this today:
Focus area #1: Bring more resources today
Pick up the phone and call your marketing department. Call as high in that department as you feel comfortable. Schedule a discussion for 15 minutes. Almost anyone can give you 15 minutes. You will know right away whether you need more time or not.
When you meet, get curious! Here are a few curiosity-style questions to get you started
- “What do you think the sales team needs to do to help you in your role?”
- “What information from me would help you be more effective in marketing?”
- “Speaking of being effective, how do you measure the effectiveness of your marketing programs or projects?”
- “Would it help if you were to ride along with me to see a few key customers or prospects?”
Focus area #2: Shift your sales approach
Write out the question below for your next sales call. Yes, you need to write it out. Then, I want you to rehearse it on your way to the appointment. I want you to deliver this question in such a natural way that your customer is going to think you just thought it up off the top of your head.
- If calling on a prospect or customer you don’t know as well: “Hey, I’m always curious, with all the suppliers out there that you could pick from, how does a producer decide on the one they are going to use? I mean, each has such a great story of why they are the best, how do you pick?”
- If calling on a customer you know really well. You sell them some products but not all of your products: “Hey, you’ve been with us for some time now, when you look at all the products out here and the suppliers, how do you typically decide to buy from one versus the other?”
Ask the question, then go silent and let them reply. Write down the key points you hear from their answer. If they start telling you a story about how they picked a supplier, look for the key selling behaviors in that story.
Don’t let them tell you it’s the price. Yes, price will be a part, but dig in with, “I know price is always a consideration, but what else goes into deciding on a supplier?”
When done, you just gained insight into what it takes to become this customer’s Trusted Advisor. Or, you learned you do not want to waste the time trying to be this customer’s Trusted Advisor.
Focus area #3: Customized Development
If you are in a position to decide, then consider a development company that can bring industry experience and customize it to your team in your market up against your competitors. There are hundreds to thousands of generic sales training programs out there. They are not bad. They are just generic. The concepts can certainly be applied. To make the program more meaningful and stick with attendees, I focus on agribusiness sales. Going one step further, I customize that to focus on agribusiness sales for your team. If this sounds like something you or your team need, let’s have a discussion on it today. phone: (608) 751-6971 email: Greg@gregmartinelli.net.
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