...I Did it My Way!!!

Not just the final line of a well known song but quite possibly a vital key to your future success in

B2B business generation, with the ability to create sales now and in the future.

 Different times create different systems and over time many systems have been developed and worked to some degree - but customers are a more complicated and educated breed these days. Even consultative selling has become a well known practice to sales people and clients alike.

So what works now?

The one aspect that succeeds in sales is being genuine.

 People have what I call a sales shutter and it activates quickly (and does not go back down) when it senses someone trying to "sell" them something or if they are not being genuinely who they really are. We instinctively register when someone is trying to be something they are not (lying) and this disjoint causes a rift in what could have been a solid and trusting business relationship.

 It is an instinctual thing and that is what makes it such a powerful force - it works on our emotional level. We feel that what we are hearing is a lie. Studies suggest that 85% of our buying decisions are based on emotions. Logic and sales pitches and facts and figures mean nothing if we simply feel that there is something wrong with the deal.

 Now add to this the fact that we are living in a changing world where staff have more power than ever before. No one is simply fired and orders are not followed unquestioningly. Leaders now lead with cooperation and tact with much careful planning. Thoughts for the EQ aspects of a team working together well now outweigh the IQ aspect of the individual's talents.

As a result sales staff no longer blindly follow training if they have any previous experience. They are much more willing to buck the system and, once management and the trainers have left the room, go back to their old and much more comfortable ways.

For example, many organizations rely on technicians to make the deals and seal the contracts. Often such people are great at uncovering a client's needs and producing great solutions but they find it hard to find the prospect in the first place and close the deal. I am asked often to provide the "closes" for this group but this is not the answer.

 They build a strong relationship and then try a clumsy close that simply is not who they are - and the client senses it. It causes such a disjoint that a lot of the good work is undone.

 The answer is NOT a standard sales package. If you are lucky half the team will associate with the material and ideas and actually give it a real try and try to make it work.

 What if you had a sales process that recognizes the individuality and personality of each member of the sales team? What if it could encompass all the strengths of those individuals? And what if you could then equip them with ideas that help them overcome their shortfalls in a way that did not threaten their comfort zones (too much) and allowed then to remain true to their own sense of values and what is right?

 The answer - You would have happy teams that would achieve sales targets in a way that suits them and their customers, who would become long term loyal sources of ongoing custom. And it certainly can be done.

Now wouldn't that be nice?

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