You probably don’t have to think too far back to remember the last time you crossed paths with one of those “sleazy sales people”.
You know?… The ones who promise they could provide almost any goods or service your heart desires…until the time comes to actually deliver on said promises.
Then all of a sudden they become harder to locate than a wild dodo bird. Look, I understand why sales people carry a bad reputation and rightly so.
Allow me to show you why sales is indeed quite ‘sexy’ and how by implementing the right processes and attitude adjustments you can turn your sales team into one that the customer does not want to regret missing a call from, and keep yourself out of their blocked and spam folders. Think of sales as a good and necessary service that has been corrupted by bad practice.
All that can change with YOU and YOUR COMPANY...
Here are some tips and practices you can implement so that your company does not have to deal with the burden of being thought of as just another greedy business:
- Relationships, People and Humanising Your Business:
People are the backbone of every business, but they are not a business themselves.
It is important to ensure that your company is easy to interact with on a human level as well.
People will likely be very sceptical about investing in a business that seems unapproachable or disconnected from their reality.
A business can humanise itself in a number ways, which include:
- BY OFFERING VALUE TO OTHERS:
There is no point in reaching out to someone if your goods or services are of little value to them. Look for companies who require what you can provide and go out of your way to make them feel special. Research their mission and vision statements and tell them exactly how you and your company can be the helping hand they need to reach their goals.
- DOING REGULAR CHECK INS:
As basic as this step may sound research shows that up to 42% of companies do not check in on their customers after selling them their product be it goods or services. This reduces the chance of repeat business and shows a lack of interest on the part of your company. Check in on your customers. Let them know they are important to you and that their satisfaction matters.
- SHARE YOUR OWN GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:
Sharing your business goals with your customers is a good way to show them that you think of them as more than a potential sale. It shows that you regard them highly and as a part of your process towards progress. People want to feel needed and making them feel that they are will only help in securing long-term business.
- STAY TRUE TO YOUR IDENTITY:
As with anything else in life, authentic relationships are the easiest ones to maintain and feel fulfilled in. Ensure that your sales team is well aware of your own mission and vision statement, and conduct themselves in accordance with it at all times, and especially when interacting with customers. A customer will have little confidence in dealings with you if they feel that you have little confidence in yourself.
- The Love of Your Product or Service:
A genuine love for your product or service should always be conveyed throughout both your attitude and your actions. This can be done by showing that your are truly passionate about the ways in which your product can help people and ,in particular, any potential customers. Always speak enthusiastically and with an upbeat confident tone whenever discussing how your goods or services function and how they can benefit a curious investor.
Always take into consideration the pain points of a company before conducting any communication with them. Knowing where a company needs help and where they might be falling short can help you to lock-in on the most necessary ways in which you can help a customer and emphasise the potential impact your company could have in assisting them to overcome their hurdles. People tend to outgrow the friends who are only there for the celebration, yet absent during the struggle.
Don’t be the business your customers outgrow.
Conclusion:
Ultimately the bad reputation of the salesman will always exist, so long as, the bad salesman always exists. It’s not a reputation, it is essentially a label and a label that an honourable salesman must show does not apply to him. Sales is the procurement of goods or services from a provider, and this dynamic will always be necessary in any functional society. It is in this understanding that we can see that when done RIGHT, sales is very rewarding for both the seller and buyer, and comes with the added benefit of making both their lives just that little bit sweeter.
…who couldn’t do with a little extra sugar from time to time? Sales is sexy. Be sexy.
