Firms that focus on people can succeed at sales

This excerpt is from a column I wrote for the?Daily Journal of Commerce,?06/09/2009.

People buy from people

When it comes to hiring a firm, a client is not going to be swayed by the business development guy or even the president. The client wants to meet the superintendent or project manager on the job, because we buy from people, not from companies. How many times has an established client indicated that you have the job if he can have the same crew on the job? That’s why the people with the highest sales pull are the field people, not the front office management. If clients like and trust the people on the project, it’s typically a done deal.

Here’s the good news: You don’t need to be someone else to be successful at sales. The fact is that you already know how to be liked and trusted. Don’t think like a salesperson. Just bring the same operating principles of fairness, honesty and service to business development.

Start with those who like and trust you already. Forget about cold calls (for now at least). When reaching out to existing clients, stay focused on how you can continue to be liked and trusted in getting new work in the same way you are liked and trusted for doing the work. Rather than picking up the phone and asking if they have a new project, offer a way to help them. People like people who are not self-serving.

Are there leads you can offer? Can you educate their staff in a lunch and learn? How about taking them on a rafting trip? Run some numbers for them on a prospective project. Connect them with a resource. Give their child an informational interview. Help them find a retirement community for their aging parent. Think creatively about how you can be a friend and resource.

Read the full article here.