SPOTLIGHT Anatomy of A Successful Salesperson BUSINESS objections. Your answers and responses must be skillfully developed before you start selling. Remember, you won’t get a second chance to make a first impression! Talk to your customer service colleagues and other company salespeople and make sure this is part of your indoctrination as a new employee. Same thing with knowing your competition, their strengths and weaknesses: If you choose to engage in oppo- sition research, it’s probably best not to seek help from the Russian or Chinese governments. Building Relationships In one of my past lives, I worked for a very smart boss who liked to say, “Whatever business you may think you’re in, re- member, you’re really in the ‘people’ business!” Sometimes we become so focused on what we’re selling or how we stack up against competition that we forget that we are calling on people. Sure, we’ll encounter many who are different in a va- riety of ways, but fundamentally we tend to have much more in common than it may first appear. Most of the time, they’re just trying to do their job and support themselves and possibly, their family — just like you. This is why it’s so important to establish a rapport with the prospect on a personal or human level. Be especially vigilant for signs that your prospect may not be feeling well, might be having a bad day (personally or professionally) or could be mentally distracted by some other pressing issue. When this happens (and it will), it’s essential that you rec- ognize the telltale signs early in the conversation — thus, the importance of listening and being alert. If you’re doing all of the talking, you’re likely to miss signs. Initially, ask- ing thoughtful questions is often far more important than providing information. When you encounter a difficult situation, shiſt to being sincerely empathetic and carefully create an opportunity for the prospect to open up and share what’s going on with- out being intrusive. Skillfully transition into gathering in- formation, establishing interest and scheduling a follow-up appointment (or at least a call) at a time that will, hopefully, be more conducive to exploring business opportunities. Be sure to make notes of whatever you learn. However, should you determine that it’s common for prospects to seek psychiatric therapy after your visits, you may want to try a different approach… or possibly a dif- ferent career. 12 SAFE & VAULT TECHNOLOGY | July/August 2022 Theories of Selling One of the many prevailing theories of selling is AIDAS. Each letter in this behavioral theory represents a psychological stage that a buyer’s mind will pass through during a sale: Securing Attention Gaining Interest Kindling Desire Inducing Action Building Satisfaction Although space limitations of this article don’t permit delving into this process, I wanted to at least mention it. Interested readers can research this (been around forever) and other selling theories that have been taught in sales training classes. Yes, personality traits tend to be in our DNA, whereas selling techniques can be learned. There are many courses and seminars available. If you take a sales training class, I’d highly recommend that you seek an instructor with actual experience selling something similar to whatever you’ll be selling. Protecting Our Flank While there’s no denying the importance of generating business from new customers, don’t fall into the trap of taking existing customers for granted. In many ways, it’s at least as important to make sure that our existing customer base becomes and remains “the giſt that keeps on giving.” Monitor customers’ monthly volumes closely! A second common trap is to permit our sales representa- tive to become the only meaningful relationship between our company and the customer. Don’t let your company’s custom- ers effectively become the salesperson’s customers! Owners should establish and maintain contact with our customers, ideally at the owner level. This can be especially important if the salesperson leaves the company’s employment and subse- quently tries to pirate customer accounts that he/she called on. Consider a reasonable non-compete agreement (NCA), and be aware that most judges will not enforce provisions of a NCA that effectively prevent a salesperson from making a living. Job Description: Technical Sales Representative (TSR) Here are some ideas to consider incorporating into your sales- person’s job description. Of course, amend and adjust these to match your particular requirements and business environment. www.savta.org
