“I have never worked a day in my life without selling. If I believe in something, I sell it, and I sell it hard.” Estée Lauder
Some people when asked the question ‘Are you in the Sales Business?’ will deny vehemently being in the sales business.
The reason is they live in a not so distant past where ‘selling’ was associated with the typical second hand car dealer salesman – pressuring, manipulating and doing whatever it took to ‘close’ a sale.
Nowadays, no matter what the business is, from a home based business to a big corporation, from selling cars to the consultancy everyone is in sales because they are part of the ‘experience’ the customer has when dealing with the entity that has the product or service.
This perspective can be the key to your success – the understanding that your customer experience begins with the materials you buy, the systems you have implemented, the production process, the technology you use, the marketing, the customer service and yes, of course the sales force who educate your customer in the ‘art of buying’ .
Selling is a matching process between the needs of the prospective buyer and what you have to offer.
This is why nowadays it is more important that a salesperson can listen than that he or she can talk – no point pushing a product or service if the matching is not right or cannot be adjusted to make it right!
Knowing how to get to a win-win situation and how to build long-term customer relationships is incredibly important regardless of the industry you are in.
Self-discipline, persistence, self-confidence and good communication skills are all invaluable for a salesperson but the passion for the product or service and the genuine desire to serve the client is what will allow him or her to point the potential buyer in another direction if the fit is not right.
The upside is that when the sale is closed, the client will be happy and may become a raving fan – the most valuable marketing asset any business can have.
In summary, a business that sells a quality product or service with a fair price, supportive sales force, expedient delivery and efficient customer service can satisfy the clients, but only a business where everyone strives to exceed the client’s expectations, who anticipates their needs and wishes, who cares and interacts with them will have loyal customers and raving fans.
