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They ask questions, rather than tell stories. Conventional salespeople tell stories about their solutions, not to mention proclaiming the superiority of their company's brand, history and reputation. Prospective customers expect to hear these stories and rarely take them seriously. (Think about it: do you?) Chances are you will take a salesperson seriously when she displays concern for the problems you may have and the expertise to solve them. This is demonstrated by asking questions, questions that you would not have thought to ask yourself. The true professional's activity is additive to your knowledge as well as her own. How else could a sales professional acquire the raw information she needs to make an accurate diagnosis and design an efficient solution?
They let you set the pace. If a salesperson is truly there to serve you, he will not rush you, pressure you or manipulate you. The last thing he will want to do is create mistrust or a confrontational atmosphere. Therefore he will let you discover, understand the impact of and take ownership of problems before he discusses solution options. This will take a while. You will know you have a great salesperson if you find yourself feeling emotionally comfortable and communicating openly. This state of being is the only way to do mutually beneficial business.
They help you calculate the cost of your problem. It's not enough for a salesperson to say, "You have a problem and it's costing you money." She must say, "We need to determine how much this is costing you and see if it make sense to pursue a solution." Vagueness is a red flag. If a salesperson shies away from establishing an accurate cost, it's either because a) she doesn't know the cost (or is too lazy to do the work to find out), or b) she's afraid the cost will be too low to justify the solution she's offering. Generally, the second reason is the most likely one. And maybe your problem isn't significant enough to justify the expense-and a great salesperson will suggest that to you and respect that outcome.
They don't let you fall into the "creeping elegance" trap. Let's say that you become enthusiastic about the potential value of the solution that a salesperson is offering that you drop into the "as long as we're going to do this we might as well also do that" mode of thinking. A conventional salesperson might let you run up your wish list, all the time counting up the extra commissions in his head. A great salesperson will ensure that his sales do not expand beyond reasonable financial parameters. He knows that because complex sales by their very nature involve more than one decision-maker, if you unnecessarily expand the scope of a solution, one of your colleagues will shoot the whole project down. Thus, he loses your business-and you lose the benefit of the solution.
A truly good sales professional is worth his or her weight in gold. He will function as a consultant for you, a strategic partner, even an advocate. He will give you a competitive advantage. Instead of reluctantly dealing with a high-pressure adversary, you'll be forming a partnership based on mutual trust and respect.
Once you've known such an experience you'll even be likely to recommend that your own salespeople adopt this approach. It really is the only way to do business in the 21st century.
-- By Jeff Thull, President & CEO, Prime Resource Group
Jeff Thull is a leading-edge sales and marketing strategist and valued advisor for executive teams of major companies worldwide. As President and CEO of Prime Resource Group, he has designed and implemented business transformation and professional development programs for companies like Shell Global Solutions, 3M, Microsoft, Intel, Citicorp, IBM and Georgia-Pacific, as well as many fast track, start-up companies. Jeff is a compelling and thought-provoking keynote speaker for corporations and professional associations worldwide. He is also the author of the #1 best selling books Mastering the Complex Sale, and newly released, The Prime Solution: Close the Value Gap, Increase Margins, and Win the Complex Sale. For more information contact: Prime Resource Group, http://www.primeresource.com, 1.800.876.0378.
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