Salespeople are faced with a unique sense of adversity right now. Unemployment is rising, people aren’t purchasing like they used to, and people everywhere are scared of what may be on the horizon. It’s during times of uncertainty, like these, when we see what salespeople are really made of.
What separates good salespeople from great salespeople?
It’s their ability to show up as a solution provider and leave as a trusted advisor.
For over the past 20+ years of building sales teams and growing salespeople I conclude that prospects see salespeople three different ways. They see them as:
- Solution Providers
- Consultants
- Trusted Advisors
Becoming a great salesperson is a process and it requires a process.
It is a process of learning how to trust and persevere. Great salespeople are trusted because they trust first. They have learned how to go from being dependent on others to get their needs met, to learning how to be interdependent to meet the needs of others.
Your ongoing commitment to becoming a great salesperson will net you bigtime results. Not just monetary results either. Results that will help you help people. There are few things in this life that are more rewarding than helping people. And that’s what trusted advisors do; they help people.
This is exactly the message I am sending to the sales teams that I coach today.
To say what’s going on in the world today is nothing short of crazy is not an exaggeration. And I’m not saying that it’s crazy good or crazy bad. It just is what it is. And as much as I despise that statement, it is what it is. If you are a salesperson, don’t stop, just pivot!
Here is a simple 4-point plan that I developed to help sales teams I coach maintain a stronger mindset and a solid pipeline for the future
- Begin every day with at least 15 minutes of reading, 20 minutes of exercise, and 15 minutes of journaling. Add a 5-minute motivational video for an added boost!
- Become an expert in conducting video meetings.
- Create a list that contains your clients, target clients and prospects. Refresh this list about every three days.
- Send at least 30 emails and make at least 30 calls to your clients, target clients and prospects daily. These emails must be focused on you checking-in and offering to help them where you can. Include a link to your calendar and offer to have a video chat.
I love what author Arnold H. Glasow said, “Nothing lasts forever – not even your troubles.”
I really believe that if you take the time to focus on today, you’ll set yourself apart tomorrow. The most important thing that salespeople can do right now is to keep moving toward a positive future! Keep in mind that most everyone wants to keep working and everyone wants to stay in business. Finally, live by this quote by Zig Ziglar, “stop selling and start helping!” If you do this, you’ll be seen as a trusted advisor and you’ll inspire and encourage others to keep moving toward a positive future.
When you take the time to improve your emotional intelligence, you’ll increase your ability to be trusted and persevere. When you take the time to learn a sales process, your prospects will realize that you are more than a solution provider. They’ll realize that you are a trusted advisor.
Jeff Ruby is Founder & CEO of RedRock Leadership. He also hosts the RedRock Leadership Podcast and is the author of RedRock Leadership: Transform Your Company Culture and Unleash the Potential for Exponential Growth. Learn more about RedRockLeadership on their website or on Twitter at @RedRockLeader.
Pointing stock photo by Syda Productions/Shutterstock
