Building a successful career in selling or business
By Bob ‘Idea Man’ Hooey

To be effective in selling or business in general, we must deal effectively with these three areas as they relate to our customers' needs:

• Pain
• Gain
• Sustaining

Your profitability and long-term viability in selling or business will be impacted to the degree that you work with your clients or customers to effect these diverse areas or concerns,. Each area has its 'unique' focus and resulting ‘profit’ center.

If we help people with their pain - will they need us when it is gone? Helping them gain offers a bit more opportunity to serve and build. But, if you can work with them through their pain, help them gain in the process, and then take them through to helping them grow and sustain growth you will be a major part of their team for years to come. Repeat buyers are built on this premise.

They will deal with you time and time again, if you help them see and receive the value you provide. How do you currently sell in relation to these three areas?

When all is said and done, there are essentially THREE productive ways to increase your selling results or business:

• Increase the number of clients you attract and retain to deal with you
• Increase the average size of the sale for each client
• Increase the frequency or number of times each client returns and buys

Look for ways to attract more clients in the services and product mix you offer. Thinking Beyond The First Sale (coming Spring 2007) outlines 51 reasons why people buy for some hints on where you might increase your ability to attract and connect with your potential clients. SST Subscribers can find an excerpt with these 51 reasons in our 'members only' vault.

Condition your mind to look for break-through ideas and creative solutions. Investigate other industries, look at their success stories and best practices and see if they hold a secret that you can transfer to yours. (i.e.: Fed-Ex simply copied the central distribution system used by the banking system for courier delivery. Fred did ok with this transplanted break-through!) Jack Welsh of GE did this alot as did Sam Walton of Wal-Mart.

Jay suggests we should look for break through or transferable ideas in marketing, innovation, creative, operations, sourcing, technology, systems, process, selling, financing, product mix, service list, and distribution.

How about looking for ways to add-on or cross-sell?

Adding on helps move the client to a larger or superior product, package, or service. It is based on really ‘understanding’ the intended use and realizing the basic product or service will fail to meet the real needs of your client. If so, you are doing the client a disservice by allowing them to buy something that will not meet their needs. Additionally, you are building in a possible unsatisfied result, which will impact your repeat sales potential. The selling professional works with their client to ensure they get what they need and that it satisfies them.

Cross selling introduces your client to additional products or service. Offer them alternatives that perform better and are in their best interest. Telus does this well with bundling: Voice mail, call waiting, auto call back, 2nd line, autodial, calling cards, caller ID, 3rd line for security, 4th line for fax, cable and computer information delivery systems. Some companies have affiliates or special warranty or insurance programs.

Test market your offerings, product mix and services offered.

Experiment with your Website, advertising, promotional materials, selling and direct mail letters, live sales presentations and in store demos, guarantees, USP’s, pricing points, volume purchase and discounts, or financing. Nothing is sacred! Keep refining and tuning until you find something that is effective; and then continue to update it to keep it fresh and relevant to the changing market place and evolving client needs.

Look for ways to form strategic alliances or co-op with those companies or non-competitive sales reps who are already dealing with the people you would like to attract. Those companies or reps who have already earned their trust and respect.

If you offer complimentary, non-competitive services or products that assist them in better serving their clients, you will find a more favourable response. Look for opportunities to offer this kind of connection to people who want to deal with your clients, and who offer something you don’t offer or are unable to do so profitably at this moment.

Back to Articles index

© Copyright 2007 Bob ‘Idea Man’ Hooey www.ideaman.net All rights Reserved. Used with permission of the author.

Bob ‘Idea Man’ Hooey is a productivity strategist and creativity catalyst who regularly writes for North American Consumer and Trade Journals, on-line magazines, professional associations and company intranets. He is the author of 10 books including two on sales, and the 48th person in the history of Toastmasters International to earn their coveted professional level Accredited Speaker designation. He is a professional member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and the International Federation for Professional Speakers. Visit his website for additional articles like this one: www.eBusinessSuccess.biz