I was sat having lunch with a good friend the other day at Pink Lane Bakery in Jesmond (you have to go!) chatting through why I do what I do and why sales are the lifeblood of any business. He questioned why sales continue to have the negative association it so often does and why it remains a profession most stumble into rather than choose. My response was simple and candid - Sales has to be about solutions, relationships and personalisation.
Yet still so many continue to product-push and make their solutions force fit their prospects circumstances, send continuous impersonalised messages on LinkedIn, and almost get to the point of harassment in some cases. We are all trying to achieve more, develop more and hit the numbers, but we have to pause and think.
So, it would be remiss of me not to mention the impact that AI and Chat GPT are having on our industry, and I am all for simplification, automation and efficiency but we risk losing or damaging one key element in all of this.
Personalisation and Relationships
No eye rolls here, please. I am not naive enough to think that price etc doesn’t play a part in the decision-making process, but I believe in discussing this with as many people as I do – that we simply don’t take the time to personalise our communications and develop relationships like we once did. We do not take the time to truly consider what our prospects and customers require; we simply do not listen. We presume to know; we get ready to speak rather than listen and think we know best – but here’s the thing
. We don’t.
Sales is simple
You have to take the time to understand and be a signpost and solutions provider. I still come across far too many people in the industry today who are desperate to tell me all about their solutions before even asking what I need. I was at an exhibition the other day which consisted of c40 businesses exhibiting and I was casually strolling down one of the aisles, coffee in hand. 12 of them thrust a business card or leaflet into my hand without even trying to engage in a conversation, 8 of them looked me up and down already deciding I wasn’t a fit for them, 6 of them were on their phones and totally ignoring any form of engagement, two booths were empty, four were eating, one was vaping (don’t ask!) and one was having a heated debate with his colleague.
First Impressions Count
We all operate at speed these days, to achieve more, to hit numbers, and to be as effective as we possibly can be at every minute of every hour. But slowing down and having more meaningful conversations, engaging with people, and taking the time to listen will actually have a much more profound impact on both your time and your prospects. We think about numbers, emails, calls, outbound, inbound, conversion rates and so on – as do I. But I also think about the value of relationships, retention, referrals, and reputation.
Professionalise Your Sales Reputation
So, answer this rather uncomfortable question for me, honestly.
How do you think your business is reflected when it comes to your sales provision?
Your customer service and salespeople can often be the first touchpoint your prospects have with your organisation. Is it a positive one? Is it a product-pushing exercise to hit the KPIs you’ve set or is it a meaningful engagement that forms the foundations of a long-term relationship, beneficial to all? Whether converted or not, that and every interaction matters. We are all brand ambassadors of the organisations we work for and every interaction we have online or in person matters.
My perception of the businesses that where individuals vaping, on their phones or eating has been impacted. My perception of those who didn’t take the time to get to know me or enquire as to my needs and just thrust their literature in my hand, has been affected. Was your business one of these? And if I made a judgement call, how many others did too?
What are the first impressions a prospect would have of your business and team?
You have to invest in your team, continually train, upskill and develop them – we aren’t all born with incredible interpersonal skills. Communication has become a lost art and one I am dedicated to reignite.
That’s why three years ago we set out to professionalise the sales industry and to date have trained over 3000 individuals on customer service and sales skills. The Art of Communication has been our most popular session over the last few months. Working with SMEs across the UK from full training days, mentoring, coaching and development, we are passionate about professionalising your perception in the market.
We would love to chat to you. Contact me or any of my team to find out more.
Jessica@JustWilliamsLtd.co.uk
Twitter @JessicaJAW1903
@JustWilliamsLtd
@JustWilliamsSa1
www.justwilliamsltd.co.uk