TouchPoint Selling

May 15 2009 8:12AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (1) |
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By Rick Heaston

Now, more than any time in recent history, each and every sale counts. But what am I telling you; you’re “living” it every day. And besides, if you’re not hearing it from your manager, you’re hearing it from their manager, and if not there, feeling it in your pocketbook.

All of this caused me to think about some way that I might be able to help. And to me, that means asking questions and getting you to think “out of the box”. From there, you can reach your own conclusions.

Yeah, I could tell you that you need to be better at follow up, do more tours, get out on site, be a better closer, and all those “yada-yada” sales tactics you’ve heard a million times. So I’ll be right to the point.

What causes sales tactics work or not work?

Is it because you’re better at a particular tactic than the “other guy”, or maybe because you use that tactic early and often? Or is it something else? How many times have you seen a sales associate that seems to have everything perfect? In other words, they’re doing everything they should, but still not selling.

Today, success means you have to think “out of the box” and develop a deeper understanding of what makes things work or not. And certainly that means more than going through the motions. To me, those are just sales “table stakes” to play the game.

Sales tactics are nice, but today’s successful people have something more. They have the right “fuel” to make their tactic work. Here’s what every sales associate needs to think about, embrace and adapt if they want to be successful:

To start:

• Persistence … relentlessness; no matter what 
• Tenacity … always staying focused on the outcome 
• Optimism … a positive outlook in all circumstances

But more important:

• Lifetime learner … always working to be better 
• Global thinker … understands that strategy leads to tactics 
• Strategic … thinks two steps ahead 
• Problem Solver … understands the key is problem solving 
• Creative … can provide solutions to customer problems 
• Listener … not afraid to ask questions and will ask deep questions

It these traits that put you in position to make your sales tactics work. I’m sure there are others; so let me know what you think.