Yes, even the word 'sales' can be an expletive for Canadians that brings images to mind of an oily-hair used car salesman rubbing his hands together and tweaking his mustache as you approach the lot, ready to get you to spend more than you want on a clunker that he was told to "push."
It has been so difficult for reputable companies to attract good sales staff that they don't even advertise using that word. For example, they might put an ad out for a "business development representative" or "account manager."
Any company that wants to survive needs to understand that sales is its lifeblood and the sales staff is the heart. There would be no income, no business and no profit without sales, hence, there would be no jobs.
Sadly enough, in spite of what Canadian companies know about the importance of sales, the art of sales is rarely taught in a formal educational environment. Look at any MBA program of major business schools and you will see that sales, per se, is generally relegated to a single course in sales management or it's embedded with marketing . . . which is not sales.
A good salesperson is like a psychotherapist. That is, good listening is crucial along with the ability to understand, sense and react to the customer's concerns and needs. It requires empathy and emotional intelligence, and knowing your customer intimately regarding their specific needs.
Selling is connecting the value a company can deliver to their customer's needs and desires and being aware that buying something is not a simple factual decision; it's an emotional one. It is driven by two main motivators: pain and gain.
Solve the customer's problem (pain) or give them the benefit they are looking for (gain).
Selling requires you develop a level of trust with your customer so they know you're looking out for their best interest. If you only care about your commission, you might sell to them--once.
Canadians need to change their negative mindset regarding sales. Skills you use to sell something are critical life skills and should be taught in schools, in spite of the fact that some people are just natural salespeople . . . such as my wife.
What my wife has, in addition to everything mentioned above, is total honesty, and her customers know that of at least can sense it.
If a price goes down after the purchase is made, there is a 30-day price guarantee, and she will call the customer to have them come back in for a refund. She loses a little money for that sale but gains a customer for life along with referrals.
Obviously, another very important aspect of being a great salesperson is totally knowing and honestly liking your product.
A good sales team can change the way people view sales and in time it will help support Canadian companies to find new business and secure access to new markets.
There is frustration among small to mid-size businesses with their endless search for good salespeople and it's a recurring problem in our economic landscape even in spite of our low Canadian dollar.
We need to better understand cultural subtleties and navigate between cultures, such as Asia, Africa and Latin America--all countries where relationships must precede business deals.
We also need to be more assertive because we constantly face aggressive competition from the US, China and Germany, as well as other nations. We only have 5% of local businesses exporting.
Sales is not a low-grade profession; it can be a rewarding, enriching career and put people at the top of the economic rung on the ladder. We need to have salespeople who sell like Canadians play hockey--hard into the corner, elbows flying and coming out with the puck.
Then afterward, we can be polite Canadians.
No comments:
Post a Comment