Earlier this week, in the blog post by @jolewitz he talks about how critical people are to a business’ success. In the comments he and @RaynaNyc talked about how your team is one of the biggest unique selling propositions (USP). It’s so true, and it got me thinking.
The “grey matter” of your team is what matters.
Back in 1995, smiling and dialing was expected. A sales person was supposed to get names from trade shows, Thomas Register, Harris, etc. Then they were supposed to start calling. I swear, salespeople taught buyers to not answer the phone. I honestly believe bad sales tactics had a lot to do with the internet boom. Buyers desperately wanted a way to get product information without a pushy salesperson.
Many managers (whether in small, mid-sized or large businesses) who survived the very difficult last few years are working hard to come back strong. You may currently be: restructuring, hiring new talent, revitalizing your marketing plan, becoming more creative with staff resources and how best to maximize them, all while making the best of technology from the Internet to mobile to social media and various data analytics tools.
My advice if you would like to transcend the competitive landscape is to think about Intentional Growth™ and create a plan to establish, highlight, and promote how you are unique as you grow into the future. The critical word here is “grow” and the focus of this post is how your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) will support and fuel that growth.
Once upon a time, businesses everywhere searched high and low for the right big account. They marched through the forest and didn’t see the trees. They scoured the earth and met with saber-toothed tigers and vicious lions that sent them scurrying back to their caves. They set out day after day with great optimism only to return home with little or no luck. Until one day, they looked out across the wide ocean and asked, “How do the ancient traditions of sea-faring nations feed and clothe their families during the long and arduous winters?” And they discovered the key of Whale Hunting!
Many sales people give up on their dreams because they worry about and try to avoid that feeling of rejection that comes when a prospect says “No”. It’s a natural concern. No one really wants to feel like a reject in life. However, it is a word that successful sales people must navigate past if they are to close deals, especially big ones.
When you hear “No”, it’s important to discern the story behind the “No”.
A lot of small companies adopt a mantra of “Think Big, Act Big” as a way to motivate everyone towards growth. It’s an amazingly common attitude. Donald Trump claims he invented the “Think Big” phrase. New Zealand thinks their prime minister invented it. It’s the title of a really bad movie. So I don’t really know where it comes from, […]
Sales in and of itself can often feel confusing. “What can I do to get my foot in the door at this company that I know (based on my research) is a perfect fit for my business offerings when I don’t have any connections there? Why won’t she return my calls to discuss the proposal she requested? Why didn’t they buy when they gave me all the right signals? How could they have possibly selected our biggest competitor when clearly we are the best fit to meet their stated objectives/needs?” I’m sure most of these sound familiar. So rather than sit at your desk ho-hum and ruminate on these questions, recognize these challenges during the sales process as opportunities to INNOVATE.
Courage is such a strong word to use in the business environment but it can be fitting. I recently decided it was time for me to start my own company after working for two wonderful people for 9 years. I know I am not running into burning buildings or facing enemy fire but I do know it took a lot for me to make this leap.
If I am being honest I think deep down I knew I should have left about 3 years ago. But I could always come up with a reason to stay, a reason to let my fear of the unknown, of failing, overcome my desire to take the leap. In the end, while not heroic, it did take courage for me to do what I knew was right.
We believe that this old adage is for the most part true, but not quite so simple. Really, what ever really is so simple? Actually, the more I thought about this saying, the more I realized that it fits quite nicely with what we teach to small businesses.
We came home from the grocery with a little mesh package of new red potatoes. Also a package of baby portabella mushrooms. Planned to use them on the same day; did not demand that they stay fresh for even three days (although that wouldn’t be too much to expect, would it?)
As I started assembling the roast pork tenderloin dinner, I discovered that the potatoes were rotten. Not just mildly old—completely unusable. All of them. So good husband returned to the supermarket to get replacements. A few minutes after he left, I opened the portabellas. Whew! Old. Unacceptable. So from a very expensive, high-end so-called “luxury” grocery store, I had two high-priced items on the same day that were unfit to eat. From a provider whose minimum requirement should be “food that is fit to eat on the day you buy it.”
Let’s talk about being hungry. You want this. You want to be successful. Grow your company. Close that deal. Are you motivated? Yes. Inspired? If you’re like most entrepreneurs, some days are better than others. Many entrepreneurs work so hard for so long, soon the “spirit” part of their entrepreneurial spirit is gone. In order to keep it real, sometimes you need a break. A breather. Renew the sense of purpose with which you started this endeavor. Even taking the smallest moment to get re-energized will help you bring more to the table in your conversations, partnerships and strategy.
There are natural advantages women bring to the B2B sales process including their ability to read a room and understand what’s going on inside a buyer’s head. Women are especially good at reading emotions and assessing a buyer’s fear.