How do you perceive yourself? How do you want your customers to perceive you?
I find from my discussions with clients, colleagues and prospects that many sales professionals often perceive the client to be more important than they are, particularly if they are targeting senior decision makers in their sales process.
It is no wonder that so many sales people fail to engage with their prospects and enter into a discussion as business equals!
Sure the customer is KING and they are indirectly paying your salary. But does that mean that you need to position them as more important than you?
What is your syntax currently like when you describe your position relative to that of your prospects and customers? Could it be more assertive?
What I am suggesting that you ask yourself is:
Is the prospect doing me a favour by taking my call or taking a meeting with me?
I find from my discussions with clients, colleagues and prospects that many sales professionals often perceive the client to be more important than they are, particularly if they are targeting senior decision makers in their sales process.
It is no wonder that so many sales people fail to engage with their prospects and enter into a discussion as business equals!
Sure the customer is KING and they are indirectly paying your salary. But does that mean that you need to position them as more important than you?
What is your syntax currently like when you describe your position relative to that of your prospects and customers? Could it be more assertive?
What I am suggesting that you ask yourself is:
Is the prospect doing me a favour by taking my call or taking a meeting with me?
OR
Am I doing the prospect a favour by contacting them about an offering that will add value to their business, solve problems, save them time/money or even help them make them money?
Which question is more inspiring? Which is more assertive?
If you genuinely believe that you, your offering and your company will add value to your customers and help them better achieve their goals, why wouldn’t they be happy to hear from you?
The more confident you are that you, your offering and your company will be in a position to help your client and add value to their business, the more comfortable you should be that the decision maker you are contacting will see you as a value adding partner.
The more confident and comfortable you are, the more comfortable your client will be to engage with you and the higher the probability that they will perceive you as a value adding professional.
Believe in you;
Believe that your product or service will add value;
Believe that your company is a trusted industry partner;
Beleive that the client can and will want to buy from you.
If you don’t genuinely believe the above, why should the prospect perceive you positively and want to engage in a business relationship with you?
More importantly, if you don’t genuinely believe in the above, why are you turning up for work?
How you position yourself will have a direct impact on how your clients will perceive you and engage with you.
Am I doing the prospect a favour by contacting them about an offering that will add value to their business, solve problems, save them time/money or even help them make them money?
Which question is more inspiring? Which is more assertive?
If you genuinely believe that you, your offering and your company will add value to your customers and help them better achieve their goals, why wouldn’t they be happy to hear from you?
The more confident you are that you, your offering and your company will be in a position to help your client and add value to their business, the more comfortable you should be that the decision maker you are contacting will see you as a value adding partner.
The more confident and comfortable you are, the more comfortable your client will be to engage with you and the higher the probability that they will perceive you as a value adding professional.
Believe in you;
Believe that your product or service will add value;
Believe that your company is a trusted industry partner;
Beleive that the client can and will want to buy from you.
If you don’t genuinely believe the above, why should the prospect perceive you positively and want to engage in a business relationship with you?
More importantly, if you don’t genuinely believe in the above, why are you turning up for work?
How you position yourself will have a direct impact on how your clients will perceive you and engage with you.
Position yourself as an equal to your customer and watch your business relationships flourish...
In sales perception is reality.
In sales perception is reality.
How successful was I at positioning myself as your equal - let me know @ christian@mysalesmentor.co.uk
Posts
Hi Christian,
ReplyDeleteGood article and as a sales trainer I often observe the phenomenom of low self esteem as you describe. Anyone who has ever had a bout of call reluctance will no doubt associate with it as well.
I spend time in the classroom working with sales people's beliefs to help them dump negative beliefs they hold about themselves, their ability and their company and to substitue them with more empowering beliefs and a new set of goals to propel them along their path.
Thanks for the post.
Mark