August 20, 2024

Offering best-in-class products at a competitive price isn't enough. Customers have shifted their expectations of salespeople.?

Before the Internet, the salesperson held all the cards. They had the product information, pricing, specifications, features, benefits, and use cases...they had it all. Post Internet, customers can find all that information with a couple of clicks of a button. Additionally, they can get feedback from customers who have worked with you or used your product.?

The dynamic has changed. Many sales professionals haven't.?

Customers expect salespeople to have expertise in their field and know about their products. But today, that's not enough. The expectation is that sales professionals will add value to their business. They will understand how solutions will help solve problems. The best salespeople are less peddlers and more advisors.?

Collaboration, facilitation, and a sense of partnership are paramount skills. Sellers need to understand how organizations work, create revenue, and communicate how a solution helps them be more effective and efficient.?

Too many salespeople are stuck in the past. They engage in the lowest form of selling, one-way persuasion. The sales pitch has become like the Roladex in the arsenal of the rainmakers.?

My advice is to slow down, be curious, and ask questions. And then ask some more. Be like a doctor, getting a thorough diagnosis before offering a solution. Be OK if your solution isn't a good fit. Salespeople often sell too soon and talk too much.?

A gifted, professional salesperson can bring immense value to customers and can be a partner in their future success. But this requires a modern approach, not one from the dark ages.

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The Huddle?is for leaders.?What started as a value-add for busy clients?has evolved into curating interesting articles, videos, and insights that anyone interested in self-development will enjoy.

Here are a few things that caught my eye this week.

Let's Go! -?He wasn't the starting quarterback until his junior year of college. Though gifted, he was forced to wait his turn for his chance to lead the team. That's something that never happens today in our "play me or I'm going to go to another team" sports culture.?

In the NFL draft, he was drafted behind such legends as Chad Pennington (his father-in-law was my Little League coach!), Giovanni Carmazi, Chris Redman, Tee Martin, Marc Bulger (Go Mountaineers!), and Spurgeon Wynn. The last one gets me. As a long-suffering Browns fan, we get Spurgeon Wynn when we could have had Tom Brady with a late-round pick. Someone said, "No, Brady's nice, but let's take Wynn."?

Brady was known for his intangibles, but there were significant questions about his physical ability. Yes, he's smart and works hard, but he's not bigger, faster, or stronger than most quarterbacks.?

The pundits underestimated the intangibles, and business leaders can be guilty of the same thing. Degrees from prestigious colleges, work experience, and family connections are great—but will they help you reach the next level?

I loved this article?by Brady from the?Harvard Business Review.?He writes about building better teams and offers many?good nuggets to digest.?

One Big Win -?I found this article to be thought-provoking.?I agree that poorly formulated goals can sometimes turn into mindless, day-to-day to-do?lists with little inspiration. The big things that matter are often put off into the future, and we never get around to them.?

The author suggests thinking about goals as quests. He offers examples and persuasive words about how this might be a better way to approach goals for some.?

Building Better Bosses -?I've provided ongoing reinforcement training for sales professionals and managers for years.?Most of my clients have been?with me for a long time, and our engagement is most often measured in years instead of months.?

It's the magic of what we do. One client recently told me, "I'm glad I didn't drop out in year four...I feel like I'm just now starting to reach my stride."?

That said, I realized recently that there was a gap. I got requests like this: "I've got a new manager—we just promoted her. Do you have a program that can get her up to speed?" Or, "I have a manager who's been with me for a while, but they have never had professional training. I think they need a quick tune-up on some basics."?

I didn't have anything to specifically meet this need—until about one year ago when I developed the?Building Better Bosses?program. We are enrolling our fourth cohort now for sessions starting in October. In six weeks, leaders get the best I have regarding the fundamentals of being a great coach and leader.?

If you're interested,?you can learn more here.?

Unintended Consequences?-?You hire someone who is a people person; they are nice, friendly, and loved by all. But later, you realize they need to be more assertive to be successful in their role. You decided to give sales reps a bigger incentive to sell your new product; now, they don't sell the old ones.?

Life is filled with unintended consequences. Often, we don't follow the path of second—and third-order thinking, and things don't go as we thought.?

I read this article about Starbucks with interest,?which is a good lesson on unintended consequences. To bolster business, leaders said, "Let's have a gift card! Even better, a rewards program! And also, let's have a great phone app!" They did exceptionally well with that. Some have said Starbucks customers have over $1 billion stored on their app.?

The strategy was brilliant until it wasn't.

Now, people have stopped coming into the store. It's a great app...quick and convenient.?

Except that's not the heart of Starbucks. Starbucks built its brand on the vibe: Come in, use the WiFi, hang out awhile. Fewer people are doing that because of....you know, the app.?

And if I run in and pick it up, Sheetz and Wawa are a lot cheaper. Why pay $5 for a cup of coffee when next door, I get it for $2?

Perhaps they should have thought this one all the way through.?

A quote to leave you with?

Have a great week!