Midlands Business Profiles
The economy is falling. The economy is falling.
Breaking news! Have you heard? The economy is down!
THE economy is down, but how about YOUR economy?
Regardless of the state of your industry, the state of your market, and even the state of your sales, as a salesperson it's best to look at the big picture. When you see the big picture, you can craft more when the marketplace says less.
Before you try to make another sale, before you call on the next customer, I want you to look at the real world so you can come up with real ideas and real answers. Ideas and answers for your customers, for your sales, and for yourself.
Let me be more specific. I want you to look at and define your real world, and their real world. Before you visit any customer, you have to know what the total situation is in order to understand them, relate to them, help them, serve them, and sell them. In these times, 'sell them' may be last on the list.
Let me define TOTAL SITUATION. Don't make the fatal mistake of just defining your situation. You also have to define the customer's situation, the market situation, and your company's situation with their customers.
What you are defining is what exists now; the present situation. And by the way, once you have defined a situation, it will begin to give you clarity of the situation, and clarity of mind. Write the situation down. Writing it down will clarify the situation for you. It will also serve as a springboard for the actions you must take for your customer in these times, so you can win in these times – and all times.
HERE'S THE PROBLEM: You may be panicked, maybe even pushed, for MORE SALES NOW. This means you have to make a choice. Panic, or prepare. My strategy is a little slower, but A LOT SURER.
After you have written the entire situation, now you can begin looking for opportunities. What are the opportunities for the customer, for your company, and for you? Is there an opportunity for you to capture a higher percentage of the customer's business? Is there an opportunity for the customer to make more sales so they can pay their invoices in a more timely manner? Is there a market opportunity that the customer is missing because they are more focused on their woes and their competition, rather than their strengths?
Whatever they are, once you've identified all the opportunities, and you're clear on their situation, then and only then can you begin to write what you intend to do or accomplish – your objectives.
Your objective may be as simple as getting the customer to pay their outstanding balances in a more timely manner. Your objective may be to double your business with this customer. Your objective might be to help your customer through troubled times. Your objective may be to broaden your relationship with the customer so they will refer you to other customers. Your objective might be to make a sale right now.
You may have several objectives. Whatever the objectives are, they must be clearly stated and defined in writing. AND PLEASE do not confuse objectives with goals. Write down what you intend to do to help the customer, do more business with the customer, gain more referrals from the customer, and make the relationship with the customer a financially rewarding one.
Once you clarify and understand the situation, identify opportunities, and write your objectives, make certain they are congruent with your intentions.
When the market is volatile or uncertain, all facts defined will help you think more clearly, act more directly, and become more successful.
Now, I'm going to challenge you on a mastery point. Once you have this game plan written down: situation, opportunities, objectives, and intentions, I challenge you to share these thoughts with your customer so that they can become aware of how serious, how professional, and how certain you are about growing the relationship, helping them, and building your business.
Doing this will not only give your customer peace of mind, you'll also give yourself peace of mind.
Your list of ideas and answers will not only set you apart from your competitors, who at this moment are merely trying to sell and collect, but they will also build your relationship in the more difficult times, so that when times become better (and they always do), you will have earned the business and the loyalty that you deserve.
I have one more powerful strategy to beat the crunch. If you want it, go to www.gitomer.com, register if you're a first-time visitor, and enter the word OPPORTUNITY in the GitBit box.
THE economy is down, but how about YOUR economy?
Regardless of the state of your industry, the state of your market, and even the state of your sales, as a salesperson it's best to look at the big picture. When you see the big picture, you can craft more when the marketplace says less.
Before you try to make another sale, before you call on the next customer, I want you to look at the real world so you can come up with real ideas and real answers. Ideas and answers for your customers, for your sales, and for yourself.
Let me be more specific. I want you to look at and define your real world, and their real world. Before you visit any customer, you have to know what the total situation is in order to understand them, relate to them, help them, serve them, and sell them. In these times, 'sell them' may be last on the list.
Let me define TOTAL SITUATION. Don't make the fatal mistake of just defining your situation. You also have to define the customer's situation, the market situation, and your company's situation with their customers.
What you are defining is what exists now; the present situation. And by the way, once you have defined a situation, it will begin to give you clarity of the situation, and clarity of mind. Write the situation down. Writing it down will clarify the situation for you. It will also serve as a springboard for the actions you must take for your customer in these times, so you can win in these times – and all times.
HERE'S THE PROBLEM: You may be panicked, maybe even pushed, for MORE SALES NOW. This means you have to make a choice. Panic, or prepare. My strategy is a little slower, but A LOT SURER.
After you have written the entire situation, now you can begin looking for opportunities. What are the opportunities for the customer, for your company, and for you? Is there an opportunity for you to capture a higher percentage of the customer's business? Is there an opportunity for the customer to make more sales so they can pay their invoices in a more timely manner? Is there a market opportunity that the customer is missing because they are more focused on their woes and their competition, rather than their strengths?
Whatever they are, once you've identified all the opportunities, and you're clear on their situation, then and only then can you begin to write what you intend to do or accomplish – your objectives.
Your objective may be as simple as getting the customer to pay their outstanding balances in a more timely manner. Your objective may be to double your business with this customer. Your objective might be to help your customer through troubled times. Your objective may be to broaden your relationship with the customer so they will refer you to other customers. Your objective might be to make a sale right now.
You may have several objectives. Whatever the objectives are, they must be clearly stated and defined in writing. AND PLEASE do not confuse objectives with goals. Write down what you intend to do to help the customer, do more business with the customer, gain more referrals from the customer, and make the relationship with the customer a financially rewarding one.
Once you clarify and understand the situation, identify opportunities, and write your objectives, make certain they are congruent with your intentions.
When the market is volatile or uncertain, all facts defined will help you think more clearly, act more directly, and become more successful.
Now, I'm going to challenge you on a mastery point. Once you have this game plan written down: situation, opportunities, objectives, and intentions, I challenge you to share these thoughts with your customer so that they can become aware of how serious, how professional, and how certain you are about growing the relationship, helping them, and building your business.
Doing this will not only give your customer peace of mind, you'll also give yourself peace of mind.
Your list of ideas and answers will not only set you apart from your competitors, who at this moment are merely trying to sell and collect, but they will also build your relationship in the more difficult times, so that when times become better (and they always do), you will have earned the business and the loyalty that you deserve.
I have one more powerful strategy to beat the crunch. If you want it, go to www.gitomer.com, register if you're a first-time visitor, and enter the word OPPORTUNITY in the GitBit box.
Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible and The Little Red Book of Selling. President of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts Internet training programs on selling and customer service at www.trainone.com. He can be reached at 704/333-1112 or e-mail to salesman@gitomer.com
© 2008 All Rights Reserved - Don't even think about reproducing this document without written permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer
• 704/333-1112
