Want to earn more clients in 2017 and blow past your revenue goal? Tell your sales team to stop selling!
While this might sound backwards at first, the most successful sales teams are good at what they do because they firmly believe that the product or service that they're selling will add value to their customers' lives. They're not just out there pushing sales and checking off tick marks.
While this might sound backwards at first, the most successful sales teams are good at what they do because they firmly believe that the product or service that they're selling will add value to their customers' lives. They're not just out there pushing sales and checking off tick marks.
I consult businesses on sales strategy, sales team hiring, and business growth quite often. More often than not, the problem is that many sales teams prioritize making the sale over providing value to the customer. This is a very short-sighted strategy because customers that just view the sale as a transaction aren't going to feel compelled to come back for more. On the other hand, a salesperson that takes the time to understand the customer's needs and offers solutions that will meet those needs and add value to the customer will be much more successful in earning a customer for life. However, to get your sales team to take a value-added approach, you need to get them to focus on why they're selling.
It's not an easy task to get your sales team to refocus from what they're selling to why they're selling. Some members of your sales team simply want or need a job, and selling just happens to be something that they're naturally good at. These are the people that you especially need to emphasize the importance of standing behind the product or service that they're selling. When your sales team genuinely believes in the product or service that they're selling, “closing the deal” becomes second nature.
I encourage you and your sales team to listen to Simon Sinek's "How Great Leaders Inspire Action" TED talk. His inspiring message is all about knowing your why: your purpose, your cause, and your belief that inspires you to do what you do. When your sales team takes the time to ask themselves these important questions, they will be able to articulate their unique why statement. In terms of your business, addressing these questions will allow your sales team to most effectively create their own value propositions.
When a company's sales team understands why they are selling a product or service, they will have more clarity, meaning, and direction. This understanding will give them a cause, and their contribution to this cause will be making the sale. The feeling of having a purpose and being able to contribute to this cause will offer a sense of fulfillment to your sales team.
Think about what separates some of the best brands on the market from the mediocre ones. One quality that they all possess is their ability to consistently provide value to their customers. Because the sales people behind these organizations genuinely believe that their products and services enrich their customers' lives, they build a loyal base of customers that will provide long-term sales success.
Some of the less reputable brands out there have sales teams that are in it for the short gain. They'll tell a customer whatever it takes to close the deal. These companies are sales-driven rather than value-driven, and it's evident that they don't take the time to talk to their sales team about why they're selling what they sell.
So, as you evaluate your goals for 2017 and consider your strategies for motivating your sales team to work harder, I can't stress enough the importance of talking to your team about why you're selling what you're selling. In addition, talk to your sales team about how your product or service will provide real value to the people or businesses that you sell to. If you stop selling and focus on "the why," you'll be setting up your company for long-term success.
It's not an easy task to get your sales team to refocus from what they're selling to why they're selling. Some members of your sales team simply want or need a job, and selling just happens to be something that they're naturally good at. These are the people that you especially need to emphasize the importance of standing behind the product or service that they're selling. When your sales team genuinely believes in the product or service that they're selling, “closing the deal” becomes second nature.
I encourage you and your sales team to listen to Simon Sinek's "How Great Leaders Inspire Action" TED talk. His inspiring message is all about knowing your why: your purpose, your cause, and your belief that inspires you to do what you do. When your sales team takes the time to ask themselves these important questions, they will be able to articulate their unique why statement. In terms of your business, addressing these questions will allow your sales team to most effectively create their own value propositions.
When a company's sales team understands why they are selling a product or service, they will have more clarity, meaning, and direction. This understanding will give them a cause, and their contribution to this cause will be making the sale. The feeling of having a purpose and being able to contribute to this cause will offer a sense of fulfillment to your sales team.
Think about what separates some of the best brands on the market from the mediocre ones. One quality that they all possess is their ability to consistently provide value to their customers. Because the sales people behind these organizations genuinely believe that their products and services enrich their customers' lives, they build a loyal base of customers that will provide long-term sales success.
Some of the less reputable brands out there have sales teams that are in it for the short gain. They'll tell a customer whatever it takes to close the deal. These companies are sales-driven rather than value-driven, and it's evident that they don't take the time to talk to their sales team about why they're selling what they sell.
So, as you evaluate your goals for 2017 and consider your strategies for motivating your sales team to work harder, I can't stress enough the importance of talking to your team about why you're selling what you're selling. In addition, talk to your sales team about how your product or service will provide real value to the people or businesses that you sell to. If you stop selling and focus on "the why," you'll be setting up your company for long-term success.