As I was reading a profound and insightful book over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the above quote jumped off page 9. More on the book later...
However, before I explain more, I want you to read the quote again.
"Our principal mission as salespeople is to get customers to commit... that's what we get paid to do. That's the only reason we have jobs. If we're not planning for the customer to commit to something, we're not planning to do our jobs"
Have you ever found yourself in the position of having to answer the question, "So tell me, what do you do for a living?" Of course you have. It happens every time you meet someone for the first time. Inevitably, the question is going to be asked... either by you or of you.
If you're a salesperson - and if you're like me - I often find myself wanting to not answer the question in the most straightforward way. The simple and proud answer should be, "I'm in sales." Yet, the stereotype of "salesperson" gets in my way. I'm mean, really, who likes a salesperson and, after all, we all have a desire to be liked. So, when faced with that infamous question, we implement our sales training and answer the question by doing what we've been taught... answering a question with a question! (It could also be called a diversion)
It's highly likely that this quote makes you a little uncomfortable. Read it again...
"Our principal mission as salespeople is to get customers to commit... that's what we get paid to do. That's the only reason we have jobs. If we're not planning for the customer to commit to something, we're not planning to do our jobs"
If you're not in sales, the quote sure seems to support the stereotype of high pressure sales to gain a signature or commitment. Rest assured it doesn't. It's actually a challenge to all salespeople to become more professional.
If you're in sales, the quote might be causing you some personal angst:
- You feel that sales is all about relationship building and if I ask a customer (friend) to commit, I'll ruin my relationship.
- You see the word "planning" and it scares you.
My sales friends, know these simple facts:
- Customers build relationships with you knowing that you're a salesperson. Don't disappoint them by trying your hardest to not be a salesperson. Prospects and customers schedule appointments with you knowing why you want to see them so....
- Come to the appointment prepared.
- It's up to you to be the best you can be - be a Professional Salesperson
Preparation requires planning. Professional salespeople prepare and follow a process.
Matt, one of the characters in the book, at the end of the story summed it up like this:
(On being prepared and learning to follow a process) "...I felt like Christopher Columbus discovering the New World... No wait, Christopher Columbus isn't quite right. I've been trying to think of an analogy that describes it. You know what I felt like? I felt as if, for nine years, I'd been chipping away at a giant log with a dull little toy hatchet. One day somebody walks up and says, 'Oh, are you trying to cut through that log? Here'. And he hands me a chain saw. I fire it up and 'R-r-r-raahraaaow,' I'm done. It was like, 'Oh, I get it, there's actually a tool for this job.' That's how it felt."
My sales friends, the tool (book and process) is called, The New Action Selling - How To Sell Like A Professional Even If You Think You Are One by Duane Sparks.
Start 2014 with a new mindset. Buy, study, and implement the process detailed in this book!
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