Tweet

From death of a salesman to the birth of a partner

Written by: Keith Dugdale

Article Overview: In this article Keith will look at some of the essential differences in attitude and skill between successful sales people of yester-year and those of today.

From death of a salesman to the birth of a partner

In Arthur Miller's famous play, the central character, Willy Loman, idolises Dave Singleman a great salesman known all over New England. "When he died, hundreds of salesmen and buyers were at his funeral." More than fifty years later, the business world needs more Dave Singlemans. Increased buyer choice resulting from globalisation and the growth of the Internet leaves companies with fewer and fewer opportunities to differentiate their products and services. In today's crowded marketplaces, where prospective buyers have greater and more immediate information and choice, it is often the way in which a product or service is both sold and delivered that differentiates.

Surprising then that despite obvious and far reaching changes to the way that people buy, many consultants and salespeople still "handle objections" and use "closing techniques" popular at the time of Miller's 1949 play. It is a fact that much of the selling that is done today focuses on persuading people to buy things that they might not really need.

The problem for organizations is that while aggressive sales approaches may ensure attainment of short-term targets, they are damaging in the medium to long-term.

Forward-thinking organizations have worked to break the cycle and progress has been made, notably with the success of "consultative selling", an approach that focuses attention on building an understanding of the problems facing buyers so that a match can be made to the seller's offering. However, for many sellers, "consultative selling" remains a means to an end - a way of finding a problem to fit their offering. Indeed, we've heard such tactics described as "pushing the bruise" or "backing up the ambulance" - neither of which sounds like the basis for a sustainable business relationship.

These time need a different approach. Rather than the seller starting with the premise that the buyer owes him or her an order (so that they can make their sales number), it takes the position that the seller owes the buyer

• owes the buyer for their precious gift of time that once committed is gone forever
• owes them for the information they disclose, some of which may be sensitive, confidential and even personal
• owes them for an order that may be placed - today or on another day

To satisfy this debt, the seller seeks to create an enjoyable and interesting conversation for the buyer by focusing on three key aspects:

• control - inviting input from the buyer on the format, content and length of the discussion
• structure - respecting and making efficient use of the time donated by the buyer
• insights and experience sharing - striving to provide something of use to the buyer

Done right - aligned with a genuine desire to help the buyer achieve their objectives - business relationships become enjoyable, sustainable and highly profitable. The relationship that develops is analogous to that between a doctor and a patient - a relationship based on deep trust.

One way to determine the current level of the relationship is to ask the buyer what they think. Failing that reflect on why meetings are called, who says what in meetings and how do meetings end. The answers to these questions point to the type of relationship.

Effective relationship people set targets for a defined period and then decide where they would like to get to by the end of the each interaction. They measure success by the conversations they have with their buyer - rather than the number of dollars they have made.

Ford Harding, in his book Rain Making captured the essence of modern sales when he wrote: "People buy [based] on feelings and use facts to justify the way they feel."

Think about the last piece of work you failed to win. What was the reason you were given? More than 90% of the time, the reason given is price. That isn't the real reason - it's just the easiest and least controversial. The real reason is more likely to be that they didn't like your people and didn't want to work with your organization, but it's hard to say that.

Successful salespeople today have excellent inter-personal skills and a strong focus on the buyer allied to a desire to help rather than sell. They recognise that the key to success lies in their interaction with the buyer. Here are some of the areas they focus on:

The start of any interaction

• a clear statement of purpose - the objective of the discussion
• agreeing how to use the time available and offering the buyer the opportunity to take control of any agenda
• making a clear statement of any benefit that they are seeking to deliver to the buyer

All with the purpose of signaling a desire to help as opposed to sell.

During any discussion

• asking questions to help the buyer elaborate their desired future
• providing options and advice to help the buyer achieve their desired future regardless of whether it leads to a sale of their offering
• telling stories to prove capability (as opposed to jargon-filled motherhood statements)
• co-developing solutions with the buyer (as opposed to telling them the answer)

All with the purpose of developing trust and being perceived as "different".

After the meeting

• maintaining contact by providing written summaries of important conversations
• periodically asking for feedback - there are always things that could be done better
• staying in touch with relevant information - if only to demonstrate that the buyer is in your mind

All with the purpose of continuing the dialogue and with helping the buyer.

Related Articles
  Birth Injury Occurs Often Enough to Impact Rising Insurance Premiums Facing Business
  Overcoming Objections
  BUY/SELL AGREEMENT
  Sales Success Tip-The Customer is Not Always Right
  Sales Prospecting

Article Tags: aggressive sales, arthur miller, attainment, bruise, business relationship, business world, central character, consultative selling, fifty years, globalisation, marketplaces, means to an end, objections, positio, prospective buyers, sales approaches, salesmen, salespeople, sustainable business, willy loman



Related Forum Posts
What makes a good sales rep? - I read about a great salesman and poor salesman who were sent to a village where people could not afford to buy a new shoe. The poor salesman did not believe anyone could buy new brand shoe so he could not sell in the poor village. But this great salesman believed that at least there would be a person who would be interested in using the new shoe for the first time in his or her life. That believe made him to sell more new shoes in the village than the other person who went back to the city because of his believe. So, one of the qualities sales representative can have is to believe in himself and the products is representing. I will share more of the qualities in the next posts.
other legal issues to consider at start-up - Merry Christmas I am a fairly new entrepreneur and my business is to help new low income businesses get a successful start. My back ground is group insurance, paralegal, accounting very eclectic. I noticed that we have discussion around financing, marketing etc., however, there is very little discussion around things like Wills, Divorces, Separations, the entitlements of a same sex partner or common-law partner. The rights of a common-law partner and same-sex partner are not always automatically the same as a husband and wife. The law provides for protection in a relationship whether you are married, in a common law relationship or a same sex relationship regarding health, dental, pension benefits. But that does not automatically include business or homes. For a CLP or SSR unless your name is clearly stated on the deed or business documents you may not be entitled to the home or business and to obtain your share you may have a lengthy legal battle. I am 100% on the side of prenuptial agreements or agreements before you enter a relationship especially if you plan to start a business or accumulate equity. This protects both parties and children if they are involved. It could also prevent the financial loss of a business because the settlements would have been already defined. It would be great to know if anyone thought about these things before they started their business and share what steps they took or if they lost a business because of a separation or death.
Re: New Infographic: Top Ten Reasons to Partner with Someone - I really like this! I like how it's so concise and the visual is really nice! I think a great partner is invaluable. But a bad match in a partner can set a person back. Just like a good marriage statistically results in being happier, but a frustrating marriage can reduce life satisfaction. So finding a great match in a business partner is really important. Open communication is so vital, as keeping info from your partner can result in big blow ups and lack of trust later on.
Re: Does birth order influence the desire to start a business? - yeah, I'm not sure about the birth order either. My older brother has the spark and he's been trying for years to start something. He'll usually go into something as long as there are others that want in too. He sold African art for a while but then when the partners pulled out so did he. Looking back it was him that got me inspired into the business world. I remember when we were kids we used to open up a stall at the fair and have games (ones that were very difficult to win) that kids could play. I've taken on a more direct approach to business and have started a few myself and ran with it taking on people for the ride if they chose to participate in my business. My bro is thinking about another business which I think has some great potential and I'm trying to get him to go with it rather than wait for his partner to get the marketing going - he's in analysis paralysis mode. My younger brother doesn't seem to be interested at all in business -yet.
Re: What makes a good sales rep? - Hello, Topeyinka: Thanks for starting this thread. It will be informative and inspiring! I think one mark of a good sales representative is perspective with a positive attitude. I number of years ago, I heard a similar story about those same two salesmen you just mentioned. This story focuses on the power of perspective with a positive attitude. The first shoe salesman said, "There is no market here. Nobody wears shoes." The second shoe salesman said, "The market is [u:28onyj2m]unlimited[/u:28onyj2m] here! Nobody wears shoes!" GT :-]


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

How to Set Sales Goals that Work

B2B PR – Planning for Success

What I Really Want Is...

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.