NEWSFLASH – You Are The Biggest Factor!
We’re now discussing the third of the Three Magic Pre-call Questions which is:
How can I add value on this encounter?
Most salespeople go into each sales interaction thinking about what’s in it for them rather than what value the client will receive. Unfortunately, this sends precisely the wrong message to our prospects and clients. It is this third question, “How can I provide value on this encounter?” that is almost universally ignored in selling today. And yet making sure that each sales encounter is inherently valuable is the only way salespeople can stay relevant to buyers.
Seven Ways To Please Your Buyer
There are seven basic ways to make your sales encounters inherently valuable for your buyers. I am going to reveal those in an upcoming post ans we are going to delve into each of these individually, but before we do that I want to deliver an important piece of good news for sales professionals that will encourage you to leverage these areas more effectively.
You Are The Biggest Factor
Many studies have been done over the years to examine which sales factors are most influential in the buying process. Two of the most noteworthy and extensive come from HR Chally and Corporate Executive Board (CEB). They spanned more than two decades and exceeded 100,000 interviews.
They examine many factors including company and brand, quality of offering, total solution, total value, the salesperson, and price to determine which of these have the most influence in purchase decisions.
You Are The Biggest Factor
Both studies agree that far and away the most influential factor is the salesperson. In fact, the salesperson is two to four times more important than any other factor.
I’d like to draw a couple of conclusions from this data:
1. You cannot rely solely on your solution, your brand, or price. YOU are the number one influence.
I occasionally hear complaints from reps that they can’t possibly compete against another company’s “strong brand”, “better solution” or “low price.”
NEWSFLASH: The data does not support this notion.
I realize that is tough medicine, but if it were actually true that strong brands, better solutions and the lowest price always won the day, there would be no need for salespeople. Ask yourself this: Have you ever lost to a inferior brand, solution or higher price? How is that possible? I’ll tell you why – because the salesperson matters more than all of these things. Which leads me to my second conclusion:
2. You have far more control and influence than you may have previously realized. How you sell matters more than anything else.
You are the biggest factor. Your abilities, your skills, your mindset and attitude can win the day despite all else. It pays to invest in these things – to invest in yourself because you are the keystone. You are two to four times more important than any other factor.
The Salesperson Is The Most Important Factor
As I mentioned in our last post, this can work for you or against you. Are you and your approach the pillar of your success or are you using brand, solution or price as a crutch?
Embrace this truth and invest in yourself and you will have the freedom to succeed in sales anytime, anywhere. For me this thought is liberating. It means you have far more control than you may have previously realized. Embrace it. Commit to being the best at what you do with the solid knowledge that investment in yourself pays off.
Finally, spread the word. Executive management and sales leaders should be aware of this data. If increasing sales is the goal, each dollar invested in improving sales ability influences the outcome two to four times more than the same dollar invested in brand, product and lowering price. Both individuals and organizations win when investments are made in human capital.
Closing Tip: Invest in yourself. You are the biggest factor.
Until next time!
James
