Stop Selling! Start Building Trust First!

There used to be a time when Brand Principals were King (they still are in certain industries). Product training was almost defacto because the Principals were the only ones who had the information and knowledge. The technical and soft-skills know-hows would need to be rolled downstream. Everyone in the reseller community would need to know most of the features and functionality for the products they represent. Product-centric selling was trending.

Then came a time when addressing a prospect's pain within an industry drove differentiation. The tide had to turn where many of such industry knowledge-riched resellers became King themselves. They would still learn most of the soft and hard skills from the Brand Principals, but they now control the approach on how to get the sale. Industry-centric was the new buzzword.

We now live at a time when there is a whole new generation of King. Thanks to the power of digital, the buyer is now new King.

In comes a different breed of sales professionals - those that are socially and digitally savvy. Those who need to wear a multitude of hats - from product know-hows, to marketing savvy, to socially skilled, to sales capable. Buyer-centric is the new hype.

But the market is in a "confused" state right now, with many different groups differing opinions - there are onlookers awaiting to see what's happening next, there are those trying to transform digitally, there are those who have been there and done that, there are those who tried but failed, and finally there are those who are non-believers.

Regardless of which group you represent, one thing is for certain - the modern prospect or buyer is tech-savvy. Many schools of research have proven that these buyers have access to information relating to the solution they need.

Adweek noted that 81% of all shoppers conduct online research before ever visiting a store or reaching out to a solution provider. What that also means is your prospective buyer already has that product knowledge when he or she gets in touch with you. Understanding more about the product is not why he or she is there. He’s there to find something different, or find someone to convince him he’s right, or to find something he hadn’t even considered that would serve him even better.

However many sales professionals are woefully unequipped with the mindset of changing the way they engage. No thanks to inadequate training and coaching. No one really is to be blamed, as no one has reminded them on how to change.

Transformation and change will only be sustainable if the mindset is open to change. With correct guidance, transformation becomes more reachable.

This is exactly why we still see sales people hopping onto pitching mode whenever they get a chance to engage a prospect, some even trying to impress by using wonderfully worded technical jargon. No longer are the times when we use the strategy, "if you can't convince, confuse them."

So if there is one thing you need to remember in this particular post, our first purpose as a sale professional is to build TRUST, not sell. When you build trust, prospects are more open to share. And when they share, LISTEN and ask GREAT QUESTIONS. Stop pitching! Only then can you help sustain a long term business partnership.

"Transformation and change will only be sustainable if the mindset is open to change. With correct guidance, transformation becomes more reachable.

- Cherry B

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Do you agree with what we posted or have you ever experience something similar? Come share with us.

Cherry-O!

#Awareness