Tweet

Selling A Competency or a Responsibility

Written by: Mike Hawkins

Article Overview: Is selling a competency reserved for those with "sales" in their titles or is it a responsibility of everyone in the organization? Top performing companies see selling as a competency important to everyone in leadership or a position of influence.

Selling A Competency or a Responsibility

When you think of a sales person, what characteristics come to mind? Pushy, arrogant, loud, unprofessional … or empathetic, proficient, consultative and helpful? Your answer is hopefully more of the latter, but likely both, depending on which past buying experience you recall.

Who is a sales person anyway? Is selling a responsibility restricted to those who have sales in their title, e.g. car salesman, clothing saleswoman, insurance sales agent? Or is selling a capability that transcends titles?

Selling, with or without the commensurate title, is about a set of skills which are important to not only those who deal with customers but anyone who wants to influence others including their managers, employees, partners and suppliers. Fundamentally, selling is about understanding people’s needs, satisfying those needs and influencing opinions in the process. These three skills are valuable in any profession. In fact, they are of value to everyone. Like it or not, everyone sells.

Selling skills or better put, understanding, satisfying and influencing skills, largely determine who is successful in business. Having competence in these areas turn average architects into great architects, e.g. by translating their client’s wants into dream home designs. Selling skills turn average property managers into extraordinary property managers by enabling them to find a rental unit perfectly suited to the family’s unique needs. Selling skills turn average business executives into very successful business executives by enabling them to understand, inspire and lead their employees.

Here are four principles to remember that will enhance your selling ability:

1. It is not about you. It’s about your customer or whomever you are trying to influence. It is about putting yourself in their shoes and thinking about what you can do for them. Replace any temptations to demonstrate your superiority with a confidence grounded in humility. Don’t think less of yourself, just think of yourself less. Think more of them.

2. It is not about what you offer. It’s about what the other person needs. Be an attentive listener first, a good talker second. Seek understanding. Let them tell you what they need. Take notes. Reflect back to them key points of what you heard. Ask questions. You can then tailor your follow-on thoughts and suggestions to their specific needs shaping their opinions in the process.

3. It is not about your solution. It’s about the value of your solution. As familiar as you may be with your product’s features, the details of your services or the fine points of your capabilities, they are secondary to the value they provide. Focus your comments on the benefits your solution provides.

4. Influence comes easiest by adding value. Anything you can do for someone that adds value to them will in turn create value for you. Look for opportunities to give them something of value first. It will come back to you with interest.

Whether selling to customers, motivating your employees or negotiating with suppliers, put these four principles into practice and they will greatly enhance your ability to understand, satisfy and influence.

Copyright © 2008 Alpine Link Corporation, www.alpinelink.com. All rights reserved.

Related Articles
  BEING THE BEST MEANS CREATING A SELF MANAGING CULTURE
  Use Competency Assessments to Close Project Management Skill Gaps
  How can I fast track my qualification?
  Be Aware of Your Behaviors
  Salespeople Failing to Get Prospects to the Phone

Article Tags: business executives, capability, car salesman, competence, confidence, dream home designs, great architects, humility, influencing skills, insurance, insurance sales, profession, property managers, sales person, shoes, successful business, superiority, temptations



Related Forum Posts
Re: Why Did You Become An Entrepreneur? - You mean Freedom = Responsibility. Freedom and responsibility are two sides of same coin. But I like the word choice. Robert
Re: Congratulations Topeyinka - Congrats Topeyinka! As Spiderman said "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility"... Just kidding.. Have Fun!
Re: Kevin's Case Study #10 - When to become an entrepreneur? - When the bug bite you. A lot of successful entrepreneurs started in their teens or at school. Selling sweets to fellow students or lemonade to firends in the neighbourhood.
Re: This is Marketing Warfare! - Hey GT, I guess this was from a while back, and it'll test your memory a bit but could you possibly elaborate on Unique Selling Proposition? Can you give us some examples of good USPs?
Blog pinging - Thanks Martin - yes, I do ping and it has been very effective. I'm currently on the first page of Google for Mastermind Group and on the second page for Selling to Small Business.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

When Living the Dream isn't enough!

How To Be Happy at Work? Acknowledge Yourself

The Pure FUN of Learning & Using NLP

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.