Transcend The Negative Stereotypes Of Sales

By Rick Davis, Building Leaders, Inc.

Many common “salesman” stereotypes bring to mind visions of an unscrupulous person preying on the vulnerability of others. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can overcome the negative stereotypes of sales by analyzing your performance and taking defined steps to master the psychology of selling.

To rise above the social and professional pressure of the sales profession, focus on a commitment to personal growth and accountability.

Consider these tips for success to override the stereotypes some potential customer may have of sales people:

Tip #1: Understand the negative stereotypes you need to overcome – Consider what your customers think of when they consider the typical salesperson. Are they thinking about a “Hard Closer” like a character in the movie “Tin Men,” a “Friend” like Willy Loman or a “Beggar” like the character Chris Farley played in “Tommy Boy?” Are you supporting that perception or altering it?

Tip #2: Ensure your values match your behaviors – Our values are stated beliefs that often fail to match our actual behaviors. For example, a person will say that they value time, but then waste it reacting irrationally to customer demands. Or a salesperson states that he sells the value of his product or service, but habitually requests price concessions from the employer. Only when you are able to align your behaviors with your values can you begin to emerge as a true sales leader.

Rick Davis interacts with participants during one of his conferences.

Tip #3: Understand how your customers market services and generate profit – Don’t assume your customers are all alike. You cannot truly help your customers until you understand their business models. Instead of selling the features and benefits of your product, ask questions and listen to discover ways your customer faces their competitive challenges. You will then distinguish yourself as a resource who can help them increase profits through better salesmanship.

Tip #4: Think long-term profitability – While you are striving to make the sale, remember the implications of your actions. The long-term relationship you forge is based upon the short-term activity of today. Build relationships that offer mutual long-term benefits.

Tip #5: Prospect more and write everything down - Prospect more to increase your power. The more sales opportunities you have, the more you will sell and the less reliant you will be on any one situation. So, if you really want to become an effective leader, prospect continually and strive to write down information about every prospect and the value of every sales opportunity. Keep this information with you at all times and update it consistently.

After you’ve addressed and overcome the sales stereotypes, next consider how you can make the most powerful sales presentation possible. Start by building carefully prepared scripts to engage your audience and increase your confidence.

Speak from the heart and follow these tips for success:

Tip #1: Establish Credibility –Rather than spouting the wonderful features of your product, enlighten your customer about factors unrelated to you or your customer --- such as crucial regulatory issues they may face. Preemptively volunteer limitations of your product so the customer actually gains respect for you and your company. Consider even sincerely complimenting your competitor. By demonstrating general knowledge of your industry and showing your value as an objective resource for information, you establish high levels of credibility.

Tip #2: Talk in Chapters, Not in Novels – Carefully select the issues that you will focus on with customers and talk in “chapters.” Try using shorter, more concise sound bites. Prepare in advance by listing all the benefits of your product, company and yourself to create a presentation template. Then, take a moment to organize the benefits of each attribute by product and write out a short chapter for each one. This allows you to cover massive amounts of information in a short period of time and also to organize your thoughts in an effective manner.

Tip #3: Create Emotional Interest – The whole purpose of the concept of chapters is to focus on the specific issues of interest to the customer. People make decisions based more on “wants” than on “needs” so concentrate on the emotional issues of your prospects. If you have a two-hour story to tell in just a few minutes, be prepared to focus on the most important issues, presented in a way that elicits a powerful emotional response from your audience.

Remember that there are two ways to make a presentation: one stemming from your heart, the other from your mind. Just as a good actor makes a movie or play engaging and believable with expressive dialogue, sales leaders establish interest and credibility when they speak from the heart about the products they sell.

A phenomenon discovered years ago indicates that vibrations are felt in unique and symmetrical ways. Striking the string of a guitar causes a vibration of the same (unplucked) string of another nearby guitar. This became known as the principle of “harmonic resonance.” It is an astounding truism that the same principle exists in people. When talking with other human beings, they will receive your message in exactly the same way it is delivered. If you speak with your head, they will receive your message with their minds. But when you speak with your heart, your message can actually touch the other person and make him or her feel differently.

Finally, make sure to listen with your heart. Consider how you feel about the issue at hand with a potential client. If the issue is service, consider how you really feel about your service capabilities. This doesn’t mean you have to oversell. It merely means you need to describe honestly your feelings about the issue at hand. Selling with your heart and your head will certainly lead you down the path of success!

Rick Davis is president of Building Leaders Inc., a Chicago-based sales consulting company, and provider of the DriveTime Diplomatm Series of Audio Sales Training. He has written the book “Strategic Sales in the Building Industry” and gives sales presentations throughout the U.S. For more information, call (773) 769-4409, e-mail rickdavis@buildingleaders.com or visit www.buildingleaders.com.

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