Anyone
who has built a camp fire knows that starting a fire and getting it going is
quite difficult. You need to build a small pile of dry kindling and then apply
some sort of spark to it, to get it burning. Once this small fire is burning,
you slowly add more dry wood to the fire, to gradually allow the critical mass
of the fire to grow, rather than to sputter out and die. The same is true, when
you have a new business idea and it catches fire within you. Take action
immediately and ensure that you slowly add critical mass, daily action, to the
idea to keep it alive and eventually, turn into your new reality.
Deciding
to grow your sales or attract a new prospect, to your business, is simply a
spark of inspiration. The challenge you face though, is to not allow the flames
of that inspiration to die. Take action immediately and research where you can
find the most qualified prospects. Invest time and energy to explore and
research each of them thoroughly. Discover as much useful, relevant information
relating to them and their business as possible. The art of selling requires
you to partner with them, where you work to develop mutually beneficial
relationships with your clients and prospects, rather than simply selling something
to them. The only way to completely understand the needs of your prospects and clients
is to thoroughly research them and to work to understand their needs and any
challenges they may be experiencing.
Once
you have a handle on any difficulties or pain they may be experiencing, you are
equipped to partner with them, to offer them a mutually beneficial solution,
which will solve their challenges. This then shifts the relationships, which
you have with your clients, from one of buyer and seller. Where the buyer calls
the shots and the poor seller, meekly takes orders and negotiates the lowest
price, to secure the business, to one where you become a partner, an additional
resource in their business. This way of partnering with your clients, allows
them to get to know, like and trust you and they view you and your product or
service as a valuable tool in their business.
As
your knowledge of your clients and prospects grows, and you get to understand
their business better, you will become an additional (FREE) resource in their
business. They will no longer view you or your product and service as a commodity;
they will see you and your product or service, as a crucial part of their
business. Of course it is far more difficult to study a business, get to know
the idiosyncrasies of each business, its markets and its needs, difficulties
and challenges, than it is to “smouse” your product as a commodity and
negotiate and sell just on price. The benefit of getting to know your clients
and their markets is immense and are well worth the extra effort.
Use your Vision as Your Anchor
The
key to make this selling process work for you, is to first create a very clear
vision of exactly what you want and then to use this as your anchor point. Stay
focused on why you are investing all the extra effort into researching and
understanding your clients and their businesses. When you have a crystal clear
vision and are clear on your purpose, you will have the drive to stay focused
and will succeed at growing your sales and building mutually beneficial
relationships with your clients.
Commit to do whatever it takes
We
are pleasure seeking and pain avoiding by nature. So the research and work
required to develop partnerships and mutually beneficial relationships with
your clients and prospects, will take you out of your comfort zone, into
unchartered territory. So it is important to focus on the great feeling you
will have in the future, when you are able to become a partner with you
clients, rather than that feeling of just being another sales person, who is
there in an inferior position, to merely take orders. Success is driven by
first being willing to pay the price, “do the research” and then to experience
the promise, “great mutually beneficial relationships with your clients”. I am
not saying that this way of selling is easy. I am however saying it is far more
fulfilling, meaningful and satisfying, to both you and your clients.
Try to remain light hearted
When
the going gets tough and it will, it is easy to become discouraged and
frustrated. Do not allow “REJECTION” or setbacks to discourage you at all. In
fact, know that there is no such thing as rejection. Before you approach a new
client or prospect to buy your product or service, you do not have a sale. If one
of your prospects or clients refuses to buy your product or service, because
they do not see or understand the benefit your product or services offers them
or their business. You still do not have a sale, nothing has changed. Things
only change when they accept your offer, see the benefit of partnering with you
and forming a mutually beneficial relationship with you.
When
a prospect says no to your offer, it does not mean no at all. What it means is
not right now. The way you have described your partnership proposal to them is
not clear, they cannot yet see the benefits to them or their business. Your job
as the relationship builder is to then go back to the drawing board and to find
a better way to explain your offer. You must more clearly define the value you
bring and how that will equate to less pain for them and their business. Work
to become a valuable additional resource to your clients businesses and you
will no longer sell anything; you will become a value adder in your clients
businesses.
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