A few days ago, I visited a co-working space facility, looking for a conference room for one of my training classes. As many buyers do, I did my online research beforehand and had my options lined up in my head. The person working there gave me a quick tour: I liked the space, the room, the complimentary coffee, and the LCD monitor included in the fee. She mentioned an extra perk not announced online: a 20% discount if I signed up for their free membership program. “This is the ONE”, I thought. But still, getting a little testy, I asked her: “Why should I not go to your competitor and look at their space?” She paused, thought, and gave me a 30-second response describing their competitor’s extra fees for coffee, street parking, and poor customer service. Then she said: “Nobody ever asked me this before, I’m not in sales.”
Oh, I would have signed on the spot! But she let me walk away, promising an email with a link to the membership program for the 20% discount. She even said: “think about it, look around and make your best choice, we’re not here to grab your money.” To her credit, she sent her email within 2 hours, but on my way home I stopped to check out another location.
Folks, if you are talking to a prospect or an existing client, YOU ARE IN SALES! You don’t need to have “Sales” printed on your business card to be in sales! This encounter proved to me that there is a negative connotation attached to the word “sales.” Some people associate it with being greedy, only interested in money, and prone to shady tricks to get the deal. It is somewhat of a dirty word and today, many job openings for sales are labeled as “Business Development Representative.” This experience also pointed to a fact I know too well: Sales Skills Training is a must for anyone who speaks to prospects, it’s not just for sales reps.
I propose the following: change your mindset. STOP thinking of sales only as a transaction in which money is exchanged for a product or service. And for your peace of mind, the person buying is NOT thinking about “buying” either!! They are looking for something, they have a need or a pain. Focus your conversation on discovering what need and/or pain the other person has. Find out what their future looks like after they get/solve that concern. Can you help them bridge that gap? Can you take them from where they are now to where they want to be? After you discover what that person needs and what they desire, then you can offer what you do best to help them get it.
In my previous career we sold very complex technical equipment. We had a mixed team of people in sales, people in engineering who helped design what the client needed, and support engineers who helped the client install and operate what they bought. Jorge, our leader, always said: “everyone is in sales.” The engineers quietly grumbled “no, I’M NOT!” Guess what, support engineers knew exactly who came in and out of our customer’s door, they knew without error, what caused their biggest headaches, and very importantly: they had all the details about what the ideal solution looked like.
Here’s my definition of sales: helping your client reach an ideal situation they do not have today.
Everyone who speaks with a prospect or client IS in sales.
