Organizations are relentlessly pursuing new and innovative ways to drive revenue. And they should be. In a business landscape that continues to grow in complexities, in part due to globalization and rapid changes in technology, those who don’t pick up the pace will fall far behind.
So it should come as no surprise that there is extreme pressure on sellers to make their quota and drive revenue for their organizations. The sales staff, after all, is what fuels the economic engine of any company.
And I don’t think organizations need to apologize for wanting to have a souped-up engine.
The way to do this, of course, is to have your sales force operate as efficiently as possible.
Proficient sales professionals realize selling is a two-way street. It’s not all about closing the big deal and selling for the sake of selling. It’s also about understanding challenges customers face and how we can help alleviate their pain points and impact their bottom lines.
If sellers are not willing to transform the way they sell by putting the needs of the customer first, they’re going to be left behind. And what I mean by that is this: sellers must bring value to everything they do during every phase of the sales cycle. They’re not going to get the attention of their buyers otherwise.
A true transformation means providing our unique perspective and helping customers find the best, and most efficient, way to solve their challenges.
An important step – maybe the most important step – of the sales cycle is for sellers to learn everything they can about their buyers – what drives them, what they need most, what they’re measured on and what causes their struggles. When sellers can provide expertise to solutions that solve customers’ challenges, it’s a win-win situation. Organizations win by growing revenue; sellers win by helping to grow their organization.
Learn more about how you can come up with a framework for good customer interactions that either move an opportunity forward or improve the relationship with Miller Heiman Group's Conceptual Selling.
