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Ineffective people costs companies money—the bigger the company, the bigger
the amount. Whether it’s a few thousand or several million, it affects you.
As an employee, lost revenues could mean layoffs; as a manager, lost
revenues could label you as mediocre and deliver walking papers; and as an
employer, lost revenues could shut you down. All, dismal outcomes.
At the core is sales. Even if your job description doesn’t have “sales” in
it, you need to realize that you and everyone else is in sales from the
moment the day starts. Be it convincing yourself that you are going to
tackle a problem that’s been looming; deciding between the chicken or taco
salad; interacting with an irritated customer, colleague or boss; or wooing
others to your point of view . . . you are selling—either to yourself or
others.
That’s the challenge. The general public (and your coworkers and/or boss)
often think of a salesperson as a liar, manipulator, or fast-talker. If your
mannerisms/styles are those of the ”perceived” salesperson, trust and
credibility take a hit. Long term relationships may never materialize.
Rejection is in play.
“When you can’t handle rejection, you become hesitant to pick up what you
perceive to be a 250-pound phone,” according to Donna Cohen, author of Go
BIG … or Stay Home!
With all the electronic gizmos we have today for communicating, is phone
contact necessary—be it good news or bad news? You bet. Outside of actual
one-on-one contact or live video, phone interfacing is crucial. Hearing
voice tones adds a significant dimension to any words that flow. Cohen’s
visual of a 250-pound phone weighs heavy.
In the workplace, any type of “sale” will get dinged when you get grounded
in letting rejections pull you down, bury yourself in busy activities vs.
actual productivity and not embracing the company/product/concept as a
partner.
Author and business leader Steven Covey says “Begin with the end in mind.”
Sounds good—what does it mean? Cohen adds, “Be clear on the specific goals
you want to achieve and then determine the specific activities necessary to
attain those goals.”
Her steps to dealing with rejection include common sense solutions:
• Separate what you “do” in your role (salesperson, manager, account
executive, Mom, Dad, golfer, etc.) from who you “are” as a human being—i.e.
self-worth and self-esteem. Regardless of whether or not someone chooses
your solution—you are still the same human being.....creative, dependable,
funny, generous, etc.
• Set your goals, set them high and go for it. Rarely do you excel unless
you stretch yourself. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can or cannot
achieve. Be clear on your personal vision and goals, have a plan to achieve
them and refuse to let anyone or anything stand in your way.
• Use a sales process that is focused on continually adding value and is all
about the other party, which is something many talk about but few implement.
Cohen calls it “RELATE Selling™”. It focuses on Relationships, Engaging,
Leveling, Asking, Tailoring and Endorsing. It’s all about creating trust and
credibility so you can quickly clarify, qualify and move forward.
Relationships are built on trust and credibility—with yourself and others.
Cohen writes that being a member of the 4-H club is essential in building
relationships—Humor, Humility, Honesty, and cHutzpah.
Engage others in something of interest about them. It’s all about THEM . . .
not you. Do your homework and check out your client (or potential) industry,
competition and client base. Information will be found on websites and
Googling. Don’t forget to put your own name and company in for a Google
search—what’s being said/reported that others have access to?
The axiom, knowledge equals power is inaccurate. It’s knowledge plus
implementation equals power. The more you know and you are able to use will
put you ahead of the class. You will be about them so you are perceived as a
“partner” versus a vendor or salesperson.
Level your expectations every step of the way. Gain mutual commitments about
next steps. If there is no next step—stop.
This is appropriate with almost any interaction for effective
communications—whether a job interview, meeting with a co-worker/boss/peer
or prospect. Ask, “What would you like me (or do I need) to do next?”
Clarifying expectations eliminates confusion.
Asking questions is—lots of them—is essential. The more you know, the better
you can provide a solution that fits the need.
Tailor your solution to meet their specific needs—no more no less.
Endorsement—Gain it from everyone who will be affected by the decision. The
more “buy-in” you have up front, the greater your chances of a successful
implementation.
Whether you’re selling yourself or someone else’s products or services, this
how to differentiate yourself and create long-term relationships coupled
with business success. A smart career move.
# # #
© 2001-2005 The Briles Group, Inc. All
Rights Reserved.
Dr. Judith Briles is a Denver based award winning author, keynote speaker
and consultant. Her books, The Confidence Factor, Woman to Woman 2000:
Becoming Sabotage Savvy in the New Millennium, Money Smarts and
Zapping Conflict in the Workplace have all won business awards. Dr.
Briles website is www.Briles.com
and blog at
http://DrJBriles.blogspot.com. She can be reached at 800-594-0800
or e-mailed at Judith@Briles.com.
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