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In my many years of sales and sales training, I have always heard that you should be a trusted advisor. Don’t be a vendor, be a trusted advisor and there is nothing wrong with that. A trusted advisor by definition is someone you go to for advice or guidance before making a purchase or buying decision.
We all want to be that person that a prospect or customer comes to and says,
“What do you think?” or “Is this the right decision?”
But let’s be real for a minute, it takes effort, work, and time to earn someone’s trust and respect to hold that lofty role as a trusted advisor. So don’t give up, just realize that it doesn’t happen overnight, and like most great things in life, it takes commitment to a goal.
Now I would like to suggest that on the road to that goal, you focus on being something else. I think all salespeople should focus on being a guide.
A guide? What are you talking about?
Well in life, we all need some guidance or direction. Even the early settlers in America, crossing the Shenandoah Valley, engaged a guide to help them pass safely through uncharted territory.
So, what are the attributes of a great guide?
1. They know the territory– Of course, they have been there before and know the pitfalls and best route to take for successful completion of a journey.
2. They can be trusted– Well, isn’t that why we chose them, because we trust them based on their knowledge and experience in that territory?
3. They are honest– They definitely want repeat business so they will tell you the truth, good and bad.
4. They have strong communication skills – They have to communicate with new people on a daily basis and do it well to get new business.
5. They are personable and outgoing - Guides don’t have to just communicate they have to be great conversationalists, ask great questions, and get people talking.
6. They need mad improvisational skills –Guides don’t need to be great at Improv, but things can happen on a journey, and they need the ability to change things on a fly and keep moving forward.
7. They need to be enthusiastic -Your guide must be enthusiastic about the things they’re talking about, but not so enthusiastic that they fail to sound genuine.
8. They need humor- Just like being outgoing and enthusiastic, humor is often the perfect tool to cut any tension and as always add a positive spin to the conversation.
9. They must have a keen sense of direction -Outside of the fact that your tour guides should know where they’re going, they should also be able to help direct the guests to get where they want to go.
10. They must possess a passion for their job - Last but certainly not least, true passion and interest can take a journey from typical to outstanding. Anyone can point out and recite facts, but those who really love what they do can pass that passion onto their customers to make them feel it too.
Hey, wait, are those the same skills a great salesperson needs?
Enough said.
About Tom Scabareti - I believe that sales is still a numbers game, but my value proposition is to modify sales behaviors to improve conversion rates which results in increased sales and revenues for the company.
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