If you have a negative opinion of selling, you are either doing it wrong or are surrounded by people who are doing it wrong. Today’s most successful salespeople are 180-degree opposites of the smarmy, pushy, all-about-me stereotype.
Shame on you for being ashamed
I don’t think a week goes by that I don’t have conversations with individuals and/or entire agencies who struggle with their sales identity. Many become physically uncomfortable when we want to discuss the topic and will go to extremes to embrace their service side. And many have financial results that reflect this sales aversion.
Yet, how ironic is it that when we ask them their primary goal for the year, it’s almost always the amount of new revenue they want to write?
Related: 3 sales tools you’re not using
When someone struggles with a sales identity, it’s a clear indication that they have failed to evolve. They are living in what needs to be a past era. Nobody wants to fit the stereotype of a cheesy salesperson, but those who perpetuate that image are the folks struggling most today.
Today’s selling is no longer about high pressure or slick pitches. The most successful salespeople are now educators above all else.
Done correctly, the eventual sale is simply a result. You are being rewarded for identifying a problem and creating a path that leads to better results for your new client. You make someone else successful first, and then your success follows.
This isn’t just me. People way smarter have already done the ‘splaining.
If you’re not progressing, you are regressing
Several years ago, there was an article in Harvard Business Review discussing the progression salespeople need to embrace in order to add increasing value to the sales conversation. How far have you progressed?
• Vendor – This is the most commoditized of sales. Vendors win/lose based purely on price and product.
• Preferred seller – Winning at this level is based on an ability to help buyers get the most value out of the product/service after the sale.
• Consultant – Takes the time to understand the buyer’s business/circumstances and evaluates their needs before offering a solution.
• Contributor – A student of the prospect’s industry and general market. Contributors help buyers make better decisions by providing insight into the market in which the buyer is competing.
• Partner – A student of internal, organizational operations. Partners help buyers make better decisions by providing insight into their own internal operations. Partners are able to bring a new perspective and help buyers see things they haven’t noticed on their own.
Let’s re-evaluate what it means to be a “sales organization”
When done correctly, sales is all about self-education first, for the eventual purpose of client education, and for the ultimate purpose of helping them make better buying decisions. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t seem like anything to shy away from. To me, it seems worthy of celebration and pride.
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