The Definitively Great Salesperson

By: Rick Lamos

What attributes define a great salesperson? What are those qualities that "today's buyers" look for? Think for just one moment about the salespeople with whom you have worked or done business with in the past. What was it that you remember about the best of them? You can probably put a short list together without a lot of effort.

I am reminded of a recent series of sales calls with a client's sales person. My role as an observer in each of the calls and meetings over a period of three months gave me a unique view of the process. During an initial interview with the prospective customer this salesperson asks all of the correct questions that one might expect to ask in the analysis stage of the sales process.

As the calls progressed, the prospect too had many of her own questions. In this case, the products and services being discussed were those of a consumable nature and as such would require a continuous and ongoing relationship. The prospective buyer (who had recently moved from a production position into a management position) was very much aware of the importance of these products and services to a continuous, predictable manufacturing flow for her company's production team. So the questions being asked were those that you might easily predict.

Pricing, Quantity discounts, terms. Manufacturers available, product compatibility. Product availability, shipping methods, inventory and stocking issues, order desk availability, location of distribution points. Contact and communication methods, emergency protocols. Company history, referrals. Salesperson longevity with the company and industry, other customer referrals.

As I was listening to these questions and their responses, watching the body language and facial expressions, a familiar pattern had begun to emerge. Without directly asking for it, the prospect was looking for this salesperson (or any of the salespeople involved for that matter) to step up and take a leadership role. Let us look a little more closely at the items above.

What is it that the client really wanted to know when asking these questions? Let us compare the above items of concern with what the prospect was really interested in learning.

Am I going to be treated fairly with these prices compared to my competition's pricing with the same items?  Can I trust you to sell me the correct products?  Can I depend on your commitment to ship when I need the products? Is your company committed both in resources and in philosophy to serving my needs?  How well will you listen when I need to contact you?  Has your company treated its other customers with the respect I expect from my other suppliers?  Have you been honest and accountable to your customers in the past? In other words, have you done what you said you would do?

Fair, trustworthy, committed, willing to listen and serve, respectful, honest and accountable. If these attributes all sound very familiar, it is because they similar to what we normally expect from a leader. In this new economy, where change is continuous, access to information is unrivaled and pressure on margins is intense, what your prospective buyers need is someone to listen and lead them. Someone who has the courage, discipline and vision to truly serve. To put the customer's needs before theirs (before your quota, before your bonus and before your ego)!

While hardly revolutionary, and likely to draw a "You didn't have to tell me that. Tell me something that I didn't know".

The question to ask yourself is:

Does your behavior, actions and performance reflect what you say you know? 

What we think or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence.  The only thing of consequence is what we do. John Ruskin.

 

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Rick Lamos is the Director of Business Development for Frost & Sullivan.
Rick can be reached at rick.lamos@frost.com

 

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