What Sales Isn't

We are in the selling profession to make a living by introducing prospects to a service or product that will solve their problems. Today we’re going to talk about what selling is not.

·         Sales is not about getting your needs met. When I work and develop sales people one of the first things we address is fostering a proper attitude about our profession. Sales is not about making a commission or selling a product or service that doesn’t meet a prospect’s needs or expectations.

·         Selling is not about selling as much as it is about discovering if a service or product that you represent is potentially a good match for the respective prospect.

·         Selling is not about doing a presentation until both you and the prospective client have determined that there is possible fit for your services or products.

I purchased a service not long ago that made sense and that I could easily justify based on the price, value, and the credible advice I received from the representative. I could easily determine that she was looking out for my best interest. As we proceeded through the interviewing process, we became relaxed and had a very objective conversation. As we worked through the discovery phase with an appropriate amount of presentation and information from both parties, we quickly determined that the service was a good fit. We both walked away satisfied that it was a win-win for all involved.

If we do what’s in our client’s best interest, incomes and commissions will always take care of themselves.

Sales Image

As I mentioned in my last blog, over the next few months we’re going to introduce you into the world of professional selling. For objectivity, we’re going to take the gloves off so we can clearly see the positive and negative perspectives that exist in the selling profession.

 I found amongst sales professionals that there is a stigma in the way we view one another. In most cases, sales people do not see themselves in the negative perspective. Instead, they view themselves as the exception. The old 80/20 rule comes into play as we separate those that represent our profession in a positive or negative way. I found over the years that 80% of sales professionals have their perspective clients’ best interest in mind. We call it a win-win for all involved. The negative 20% have always been around and always will be.

In doing sales workshops and seminars over the years, it has always amazed me how sales people are viewed by their contemporaries. In my workshops, I introduce a short version of a game show called Password. The premise is to use one adjective to describe a noun. For example, if the noun is salesperson, generally the adjectives will start on a positive note and quickly regress into a negative tone in very short order. The other day in listening to a sports host during signing day for college recruits, they referred to some of the coaches as having a better sales pitch and relentless in their pursuit. It is these kinds of connotations that create a negative image of the sales profession.

The 20% of those in the sales profession that choose to represent our profession in a negative way will always be there with the negative connotations that go with it. As sales professionals, it is our responsibility to take the 80% of those of us that take pride in our great profession and to educate buyers and fellow sales people as to how we continue to stimulate the economy, create company growth and productivity in the entrepreneurial world we live in.

Why People Buy and Why They Don't

Understanding both aspects of why a transaction takes place and why it doesn’t is a great place to start in better identifying what motivates a perspective client to move either in a positive or negative direction in relationship to purchasing a product or service (P/S) that you represent. People in companies purchase a P/S because of the following:

·         The culmination of a transaction takes place when the value of a P/S exceeds the cost.

·         Companies purchases P/S to solve their specific problems

o   A problem either exists or it doesn’t. If it does and you can fix it, then great! If not, move on.

·         People do not want to be sold; they simply want to buy for their own reasons.

A few weeks ago, I was at a networking event and a gentleman approached me and introduced himself. I made the mistake of asking him what he did for a living. Ten minutes later, he was still rambling on and hadn’t taken a breath. He didn’t stop until I finally excused myself. He made the mistake in assuming that there was value in what he was presenting without knowing who I was, what I did for a living, or if I had an interest in what he was selling. If you think about it, why would anyone present any concept or idea until they find out if there is a potential fit?

When we present without knowing if a problem exists, we insult the prospect’s intelligence and leave a less than favorable impression. If you develop good interview skills, you will be viewed in a positive manner, especially if you determine that your P/S not a good fit and you share that with them.

Professional selling is not always about selling. In fact, many times it’s just the opposite.

Sales: The Foundation for a Growing Business

Welcome back! Over the next eight weeks, we’re going to stay tuned in to sales concepts and processes. As I’ve stated in my previous blog, sales and transactions are the fuel that drives a company’s success. Sales are what creates consistent cash flow and ensures a strong top and bottom line.

Often, I discover that many business owners are highly proficient in their product knowledge and application in solving problems for their clients. The next step in growing a business is sometimes the most difficult for the business owner. We live in a highly competitive environment and you must be able to generate new and consistent business growth in order to succeed. You can be the most creative in your respective field, but without a well thought out and conceived sales concept in place to generate business, your chances of success are considerably lower.

I shared with a client this past week that they have a wonderful product that is well-positioned to fulfill their prospective clients’ needs. The only problem is that many of their future clients don’t know that they exist. They lack visibility in their market place. You don’t have to like sales, but you do have to do it, and do it well if you expect to make it in your respective field of an endeavor.

For the next couple of months, we’re going to concentrate on sales growth and what it takes to create a successful sales formula to ensure your success.

Sales and Marketing--What's the Difference?

Welcome to 2012. I’ve always been somewhat surprised at the confusion that seems to exist between the marketing and the sales process. Hopefully the following blog will eliminate some of the discrepancies.

A marketing person I am not, but I’ve had the opportunity to work with a number of marketing professionals over the years while initiating sales concepts that compliment a well-conceived marketing effort.

Both marketing and sales are critical to ensure the growth of a business, but they are not the same, let’s discuss the differences.

In simple terms, marketing is a game plan that creates visibility and awareness of an aspiring enterprise, its products, and services. Hopefully, it creates a “call to action” for your target market if they perceive that your product alleviates a need or problem. Marketing can consist of everything from collateral material, a promotional website, email correspondence, and social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Marketing is all about creating a presence and creating a favorable perception about the product or service that a intended market can envision solving a problem. If this perception is favorable, it creates a response that helps to initiate the sales process.

The term “sales” sometimes evokes negative feelings in a person’s mind. But in reality, sales is the major key to generating business. Sales is the engine that moves a company. It creates a cash-flow and operating capitol. Without sales, there is no way to develop new growth and expansion in a company.

The sales concept is primarily direct contact with perspective clients. It is a follow up to the marketing effort. Sales concepts can take several forms, such as a response to an email inquiry, responding to contact from a website, a telephone conversation, or a face-to-face meeting.

Simply put, sales is all about responding to a perspective client’s need or problem with direct contact that leads to a sales transaction. It is about creating a win-win situation for everyone involved. The transaction will not take place until the perceived value of a product or service exceeds the cost. Without this, there is no cash-flow or momentum in the company. I’ve shared over the years with clients that until a transaction takes place, there’s not much for anyone else to do.

Take a moment and look around and try to point out any item that at least one transaction has not taken place before it becomes part of your life or environment. I will be surprised if you can find one.

As you can begin to see, sales and marketing are very complimentary but certainly differ in relationship to their intended purpose. The fine line between the two is often blurred to most people who group sales and marketing together without understanding their differences. Next week we will further discuss the aspects of the sales process and getting intended results.

The Difficulty of Essential Resources

When starting a new or growing an emerging business, what seems to be the greatest need of an owner is the essential capital is takes to build and operate it. Regrettably, in today’s economy, capital can be considered the most difficult resource to attain.

Looking back over the years, I remember a growing, healthy, and free enterprise system that always afforded each of us the opportunity to purse a life of abundance and plenty. Yes, it is still doable if we are willing to sacrifice and do what it takes to tackle the obstacles that come with entrepreneurship, but what has changed over the last decade are the challenges we face. The financial/banking system as we knew it—the moderate, risk-taking financial institution that would partner with small businesses to make their dreams a reality—is gone. They have all developed the mentality of “killing the golden goose,” where insatiability has overrun good business sense. After interviewing a number of bankers, their responses to loan lending have all but been the same sad song: “I have plenty of money to loan, but I can’t find business owners that qualify.”  “I’m in the loan-lending business, not the risk-taking business.” It used to be that having good credit was enough to qualify, but the mantra of our banking system today is “collateralize or no loan.”

Coincidentally, as loan lending has decreased so has the job market. If businesses do not have the resources required to grow, they cannot afford to operate and, unfortunately, cannot offer employment. If we do kill the golden goose that has made this country so very special for the growth and nurturing of our business opportunities, I’m afraid that a banking implosion may be right around the corner. There is only so much low-hanging fruit for the banking industry to share.

 I’m still a great believer in the free enterprise system, and so I am looking to 2012 for a better outlook on today’s loan lending business.

We will resume posting in January.

_{Mike Levi is C.E.O. of Levi Inc. a 19 year old business advisory firm that is in the business of building and implementing sales and growth strategies for emerging businesses.} 

_{http://www.high-performancesales.com/}

Growing Your Business: Are You on the Right Track?

There are several components for growing a successful business that allow you to bring more to the table than your competition. Product uniqueness, detailed plans, and an individual’s background can all benefit a new project if used simultaneously and correctly.

Your product should be sufficiently developed (and positioned) to solve client problems, and solve them better than your competition. Does your product have differentials that clearly separate it from the competition? Consistently, the one who makes the better bread-box will receive the highest praise and loyalty from customers.

Detailed plans can also make or break a new idea. Is your product positioned for future innovations and creative changes to address an ever-changing market place? Staying power for the long haul is critical, but knowing when it is time to move on can be just as equally beneficial. You need to have resources in place that will allow you to tackle unexpected obstacles that are bound to creep into the equation. Outlining a game plan for your business can make transitions for a product smoother and less stressful.

Though having a better product than your competition is a great start, individuals in your business are the real foot soldiers of your new idea. Are their sales and marketing expertise adequate enough to ensure that they will be a significant force in moving the project forward? To ensure success the company should take the time to truly explore the potential of the market they are entering. Remember, for each new product or endeavor there should be growth for learning innovative tactics that best compliment your company.

_{Mike Levi is C.E.O. of Levi Inc. a 19 year old business advisory firm that is in the business of building and implementing sales and growth strategies for emerging businesses.} 

_{http://www.high-performancesales.com/}