I conclude the consistent man to be more valuable.
Great men have not always been supremely talented or gifted with genius. The habit of consistency brings with it a happy and organized life.
I have seen the qualities of the extremist swaying back and forth from greatness to weakness. I conclude the consistent man to be more valuable.
ACTION POINT: Focus on consistency.
When the customer sees that you have put in effort to offer a new perspective, they will know that you value the relationship
Salespeople are often reluctant to present uncompensated ideas for fear that they will come across as inappropriate. So is it really worth taking the risk of crossing established boundaries?
The answer is an emphatic “yes.” When the customer sees that you have put in effort to offer a new perspective, they will know that you value the relationship -- even if they’re not thrilled with the idea itself.
Uncompensated ideas are best unveiled at the end of the meeting, not the beginning. The offer a great way to end any meeting on a high note.
ACTION POINT: Take the risk of sharing “your” ideas with a customer.
Can I enhance the client’s industry knowledge
Before each client meeting, think of areas in which you could help the client by offering uncompensated ideas.
ACTION POINT: Look for opportunities to share a new perspective with your client.
surprising your customers with novel and unexpected thinking accumulates great value and brings long-term financial reward
Many sales professionals think that all they have to offer is their products and services. But it’s not just what’s in your bag that’s important -- it’s what’s in your head. When you present your customer with an idea that helps them do their job a bit better, teaches them something new, or addresses a personal issue, you are building value in your relationship that lets you leapfrog way ahead of your competitors.
When a sales professional presents a customer with an idea that has not revenue attached to it it’s called an uncompensated idea. This is a great misnomer, because surprising your customers with novel and unexpected thinking accumulates great value and brings long-term financial reward. If you’re prepared to give, you will receive.
ACTION POINT: Look for ways to present ideas that help your customers do their job better.
...the consumer does not want to buy from a catalog, a piece of mail, or a voice on the telephone
Back in the 1960’s, social forecasters were predicting that salespeople would be made obsolete by the turn of the century through advances in computing and revolutionary marketing vehicles, such as direct mail and telemarketing. They could not be more wrong. More people are selling today than ever before, and even professions that never considered using the “s” word in the past, such as banking, accounting, law, and medicine, find themselves soliciting business on a day-to-day basis.
That’s because the consumer does not want to buy from a catalog, a piece of mail, or a voice on the telephone. They want to buy from a person who listens to them, understands their needs, and responds with appropriate products and services.
ACTION POINT: Make your selling activity personal by face to face listening to and understanding your customer’s needs.
