Selling 3.0

Things are pretty tough out there, and getting tougher with each passing day. Recently, while commiserating with a salesperson over a cold one, I was asked how best to approach this challenging environment.  Considering that he's an "experienced" sales professional, I naturally assumed that he was skilled in Selling 1.0. Therefore, he never once heard me state the obvious: Be passionate; listen twice as much as you talk; tell an emotionally compelling story; be on-time; keep your word; lighten up; etc. That would be like telling a discount retailer to have competitive prices.

I also didn't ramble on about Selling 2.0: Establish trust and build a relationship and a reputation as a "consultant." You know, create a personal brand; build relationships up and down the org chart; do your homework; become a great presenter; underpromise and overdeliver; etc. That would be like telling a product designer that aesthetics and ease of use are important to users.

Instead, I tried to articulate the principles of Selling 3.0: Analyze your customers' situations (look at the issues beyond their expertise); truly empathize with them; and collaborate (with anyone and everyone) to tailor a solution to help them learn, connect, grow, achieve and move forward (what ever that happens to mean to them at the time).

Are you feeling the increased pressure of this highly competitive economy? You will. And when it hits you, here is an effective way for you to handle the inevitable stress: Care more and worry less. Care about how you can help clients save time; save money; deepen their relationships; grow their businesses. Demonstrate that you care about them!

A few years back, my brother Brian told me a story about one of his toughest prospects. Brian would show up like clockwork for every appointment, with a customized solution to this prospect’s particular business situation. Each meeting was pleasant, and Brian would follow up with a thank you note, a phone call, additional information, everything that an educated sales professional is trained to do. But all to no avail.

Then on one visit, Brian walked in to find the owner behind the register waiting on a long line of customers. Brian also noticed a huge stack of inventory on the floor waiting to be unpacked and placed on the store shelves. So Brian did what most great business people do: he empathized . . . he cared. He rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a box cutter and proceeded to stock all of his prospect's product. I'm pretty sure you know what the outcome was: this prospect became one of my brother's best and biggest customers.

Over the past 30 years in business, I've witnessed the effects of these seemingly small acts of caring and compassion on both relationships and results. So as paradoxical as this may sound, when you feel the pressure to improve results, the best thing to do is to slow down and get your focus off of your numbers. The happiest people are not those who make happiness their main goal, and the most successful business people are not the ones focused on their business success.

Update:  Here's another great article on the evolution of selling, with a focus on the growing online segment:  Read Mitch Joel's Selling 2.0 - Let The Customer Do The Communicating.

Posted September 23, 2008
Email this post   Bookmark and Share   

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341c684b53ef010534c32ae0970c

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Selling 3.0:

Comments

Greg Krauska

Tom, You made some great distinctions selling like a pro versus an amateur.

One suggestion: selling like a consultant IS Level 3 selling - looking at what the customer is trying to accomplish for their customers, internal and external, and then helping them make that happen by delivering real value. Of course, not every consultant operates that way. But that, too, is the difference between the pros and the amateurs.

Posted by: Greg Krauska | September 29, 2008 at 09:51 AM

The comments to this entry are closed.