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Negotiation

Stop marketing, start selling

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:58

Marc Andrew

By Marc Andrew

Over the last eight years of training people in sales, I have noticed that almost eighty percent of those that attend my workshops market their company’s products and services instead of selling and negotiating. They do leave the workshop with a different view, but how many others are out there that do not understand the principle of selling and the art of negotiation.

The inability to bring in business timeously causes anxiety, frustration and stress for the sales person. Most do not understand that this is due to the approach that they are taking with regards to the sales process. The sales process has changed over the years, and to add to that the client has become more informed, there is more competition and information technology allows the client to streamline their purchasing processes and policy.

To add to the mix, we are currently in a global depression, and clients are keeping there stock levels low, as large amounts of stock in their storerooms cost money, they are also looking for suppliers that offer them a valued proposition.

To give you an idea of how the sales process has changed over the years, and why sales people need to need to take cognizance of the changes that have occurred over the past few decades. In the 1980’s during the apartheid years the sales approach was a transaction sell, this being due to the limited amount of suppliers available, and that company’s were only targeting certain sectors of the market.

In the 1990’s when apartheid fell, more suppliers appeared in the market, and we moved to the consulting sell, or marketing sell as I like to call it. In the 2000’s we have moved to a situation sell, and as in the past instead of either forcing the client, or offering the “warm and fluffy”, we need to understand our clients, their company’s, and the way they operate.

To change the way a sales person sells is difficult, as it is hard to change personality traits, but training a sales person on how to sell, with understanding and ensuring that the implementation of the skills is not immediate but over a period of time which will enhance the productivity of the individual.

In order to equip sales executives with the skills and understanding as to their function, and to bring in the business in a cost effective, consistent and measurable way the following needs to be focused on:

To understand that eighty percent of the sale is done prior to meeting the client, this is achieved by following the seven basic steps to a sale:

Sales is not an exact science, making a sale is largely in the hands of a company’s sales executive, if they are not using the right approach or are ill equipped to represent your company, your competitor will more than likely benefit, chance favors the prepared mind!

People Buy from People!!!

In a survey involving over 14 000 clients in South Africa covering a cross section of private company’s, government and parastatals, mainly in procurement covering job designation from junior buyers to senior executive level, this is what clients wanted from sales executives selling to them:

• PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
• CLIENT KNOWLEDGE
• INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE
• SITUATIONAL SELLING SKILLS

How do your sales executives rate against these criteria?
How do your sales executives rate against other company’s sales executives in your industry?
How do you differentiate your sales executives from competitors in the industry?
How do you deliver what your client wants, better than anyone else?

In order for sales people to become more effective, instead of highlighting successes, I have drawn up a list of things to avoid when selling. I call this KILLING THE CLIENT

The mistake most sales people make is that they see sales as a job, sales is a lifestyle, and the sooner the realization sets in, the sooner the successes will come.