A True Sales Professional Knows Their Value And How To Use It
Larry Levine
In a world of empty suits, I’m leading a movement of authenticity, integrity, and trust inside the sales profession
"Price is what you pay. Value is what you get."
Warren Buffett
One of the most drastic changes in selling over the past decade has been the rapid evolution in customers’ overall sophistication and knowledge (courtesy of Father Google).
Many of the issues salespeople encounter comes from their short-term, transaction-oriented sales mentality. This transactional approach means they go from deal to deal and from order to order. Customers made to feel like a means to an end.
"A transactional opening leads to a transactional relationship"
A TRANSACTIONAL MINDSET
A transactional sales mindset runs rampant in today's sales world. A transactional mindset is an old, outdated and misaligned sales philosophy. It has 3 main tenants:
- Valuing the transaction over relationship (faking the relationship)
- Meeting only their minimum expectations or whatever the customer will let you get away with
- Using sleazy sales tactics as a sales tool to get people to buy
Each of these points are deadly to a sales rep, but the real danger to a sales rep is when they are combined. The reason so many in sales and their managers are failing is directly related to this transactional, non-human mentality. Prospects and your customers pick up on the mindset, they smell the odor and avoid doing business with you.
"Lead with your heart and not the wallet"
How do you know if you're a transactional sales rep? One, you're not happy with your sales results. Two, while you may be hitting your sales targets, your margins are lower. Three, you feel you get less respect from both the customer and your sales manager.
What may be causing this?
- You place price up on a pedestal first in your meetings
- You avoid difficult topics or conversations
- You display poor selling skills because you talk more than you listen
- You have no clue as to what is business acumen
MOST IN SALES ARE CLUELESS
Three-quarters of people who work in sales simply cannot execute, according to Kurlan & Associates. “For lack of a better word, they suck,” says Dennis Connelly, vice president of business development at Kurlan & Associates.
TRUE SALES PROFESSIONALS ADD VALUE
Let's all face it, very few like salespeople. Heck, even all those in sales reading this hate salespeople.
A true sales professional knows they have something that is truly going to make a difference. They bring the best version of themselves to the business table 100% of the time.
If what they have isn't the best fit they won't cram it down their prospects throat just to make a sale.
"Weak sales funnels make sales reps do things they normally wouldn't do if their sales funnels were full"
A true sales professional understands it is not about being different in your business life as in your personal life. It's about congruency. It's about the alignment of you. The genuine, authentic and real deal version of you.
A true sales professional has dedicated themselves to the sales profession. They add value because they understand their value. They are not product pushers nor are they customer babysitters.
VALUE BEFORE VISIBILITY
True sales professionals know the value they bring to the business table. They know what makes them different than all the other sales people in their marketplace.
Sales pros understand the alignment of values. They understand and do the right things for the right reasons. They take the time to really understand their clients, their goals and their initiatives.
They spend the time to learn about their clients and their business. They do this because they care.
It's imperative that sales professionals marry their value, their client's value and their company's value in complete harmony; one that is uniquely suited to promote growth and better business.
OVERCOME THE TRANSACTION MINDSET
"Know thy value, know thyself"
If you don't know your value and how to communicate it then you'll get whacked with the price hammer.
Ditch the transaction mindset as your customers deserve better. They crave...
- A valuable relationship cultivated over time
- A sales professional that will exceed their expectations and surprise them
- A sales professional who will understand and connect with them
"Know it, grow it and show it; your value"
Allow me to leave you all with this...
?If you don't know the value you bring to your current clients then how can you engage in a meaningful value based conversation with a prospective buyer?
If you would like to know more about becoming a true sales professional that adds value, please tune into the latest episode of the Selling from the Heart podcast (click on the image below)
I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and modern strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way! It's about understanding value before visibility.
Selling From the Heart has launched! I poured my heart into every page of this book and I think you're going to love it. You can find it on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. You can click on the book image below and this will take you to Amazon.
You can find more material inside Selling From The Heart.
In a world full of empty suits, I'm passionate about helping sales reps succeed by getting valuable before they get visible. I help sales teams understand the true value they bring to the market.
I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my stories. Integrating the use of social and sharing my story on LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive office technology world. With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them share their story and how they communicate it out by integrating the use of social inside the sales process. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Social Sales Academy and on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.
SMB Cybersecurity, QuickBooks Intelligent Cloud Application Management and Team Builder. I help people achieve their goals through mentoring, teaching and leading from the heart.
6 年Value does mean something different to all. As a professional, it is your responsibility to understand what it means to the prospect through proper questioning.
Sharing my passion for efficiency through technology with organisations who make the world a better place!
6 年Kevin Sher
Should have Played Quidditch for England
6 年Larry, the “problem” is that the term “value” is relative. To some a plastic bag is “value” to others a Rolls Royce. When I’ve complained about manipulation in sales, the person has responded “I’m just trying to add value”.
President Controlled Comfort | HVAC/R Construction & Services | Customer Service Lunatic | Smart Building Evangelist | Strategic Leader | Technology | Critical Facilities | Battery EV | BACnet Committee |LEED AP
6 年Really like this line “It's imperative that sales professionals marry their value, their client's value and their company's value in complete harmony;” I call it alignment, some would call it balance and others the value chain. Whatever we call it the key to the “elites” as you call it is in engagement in all parts of the value chain. Meshing yourself into their team as you would your own team. Great post!