Four P’s for Sales Success
I’ve led teams of salespeople for much of my professional career before becoming a coach. I often heard it said about some of my salespeople that he or she “could sell anything.” While that individual was incredibly persuasive and infectious, the fact remains that charisma could only take them so far. In the digital age where perception has superseded much of reality, it’s probably almost hard to believe that. Nevertheless, it is true that charm and charisma has its limits. In order for salespeople to be effective and stand out, they must be focused on the following four areas at all times.
- Product—A salesperson must have a product they believe in. One of the auto dealerships that I led offered a brand that had poor quality and dependability ratings. I struggled to believe in the product, and as a result, I struggled to make sales. I ended up leaving for that reason. Not only must the product be something that the salesperson believes in, but they must be an expert on it. With the amount of information available online today, it’s incumbent upon salespeople to know more than the customers coming in.
- Providing Solutions—A salesperson must understand that they are offering a solution to a customer’s problem. For example, when a guest would visit the dealership, we were trying to help them solve their transportation problem. When a cybersecurity salesperson makes a sales call to a business, they are trying to provide solutions for asset protection, safeguarding of personal information, and defending against intellectual property theft. The riddle for the salesperson is trying to figure out which of the three is most important to the client and tailoring their presentation to that concern. Oftentimes, salespeople try to share everything they know, but that is boring and overwhelming to the customer. The most effective approach is to identify the problem that the customer is trying to solve and to educate them on how you can help.
- Pipeline—A salesperson must keep networking and communicating with previous customers no matter how busy they are. Many salespeople make a critical mistake when business is good: they stop communicating with existing customers, pause networking efforts, and only focus on the business that is in front of them. While the present demands of the business seem urgent at the moment, they cannot overwhelm the important work of keeping the pipeline full. Staying in contact with previous customers through anniversary cards, birthday notes, regular email blasts, occasional in-person check-ins are all important ways to stay front of mind with customers and solicit referrals. Simultaneously, continuing to prospect through networking is critical.
- People—A salesperson must be able to make people feel comfortable and valued. Of course, people skills and the ability to “make friends and influence people”, as Covey said, is important, but this personality trait must also be grounded in an adopted posture of service. Putting the needs and concerns of the customer above the need for a sale or a commission will truly value that relationship, and give birth to more and more relationships.
Selling is not easy, but it is simple. It’s critical to be an export on your product, provide solutions, keep the pipeline full, and value the people. These four tips will help to deliver consistent sales results.