I had a conversation yesterday over lunch with an executive that really got me thinking. Its been a while since I have heard anything new in selling approaches that capture my attention. Most of what you read about and attend in seminars is the same old story….differentiate, compete on value not price, make sure you have a minimum of 10 touch points with any prospect and the list goes on and on. These are all great points and have some foundational merit in effective selling, but it seems all the great sales minds seem to take different angles at the same information.
Back to my lunch discussion…
The topic of effective selling came up and “right customer.” As we shared our view points this executive said something that got the sales wheels turning again. It was about being audacious. The definition of audacious is “extremely bold and daring….in some cases reckless.” As a salesperson myself… that definition can feel a bit too much and conjures up images of a very unpleasant selling experience for the prospect/client. However, after probing deeper into what he meant it became clear to me how audacious was being interpreted.
The executive I spoke with felt that most conversations center on “the needs” of the prospect. While this is not a bad approach in itself it usually leads to the salesperson trying to see where his/her services or product could fulfill that need. In some cases the salesperson may even transform into what the prospect/client needs them to be. In either case it’s the same old story.
What this executive was talking about is that the sales person should have a strong perspective about his/her service or product. That perspective opens up all kinds of conversations even if it does not directly fulfill the need as stated. It also helps to flesh out right customer from wrong customer.
Now….back to the word audacious…
Maybe a better word is belief or passion. Regardless of the correct word the concept is a good one and much more genuine. Most people are drawn to others who have passion and truly believe in what they are doing and how it can help. It draws out a good conversation that is valuable and fruitful. One word of caution though…respect must stay in check with this approach. A good dialog is listening to each other’s point of view then discussing it without emotion taking over. It’s a good wakeup call for us salespeople to start believing in what we sell, understand intimately where it adds value and stick to our beliefs. The more we try to convince, adapt, adjust, shift, etc. the less valuable the conversation becomes for you and your prospect/client and the less genuine you are perceived.
