If you were to distill the essential wisdom of all the books and sales articles published in 2009 into one key nugget of gold, your mission statement would become “Find the people with money and tailor your values statement to those people.”
Of course, that’s pretty conventional wisdom even for the best of times. But in today’s economy, people who are willing to spend money on your products or services may exist outside of their “selling comfort zone.” There’s the first step… if you’re willing to give up any notion of the false concept of a “sales comfort zone” (or a comfort zone in any area of life, for that matter) you’re already well ahead from the rest of your competition.
As an example, you might be very comfortable with the “walk/come” method of in-person cold calling. In the world of malls and “mom and pop” businesses, it’s one of the easiest ways to get directly in front of your prospect. In most situations, it is also “guardian free”. You just walk in, strike up a conversation, and you’re selling. If you feel uncomfortable on the phone, you will not face such a problem. If you’re eloquent, well-groomed, and professional, there’s a good chance you’ll build a relationship quickly and get into a sales cycle in moments. You can secure an appointment for a follow-up conversation, or you can close the sale on the spot. During the times when the “Mom & Pop” stores that line Main Street in Anytown USA are thriving, it’s a veritable harvest waiting to be plucked.
We are not in those times. Sole proprietors, mom and pop, small business owners…these are the prospects who read the papers, watch TV, surf the Web and witness unrelenting pessimism and hundreds of reasons a day to keep their wallets in their pockets. .
That doesn’t mean all small business owners are closed-minded when it comes to spending. It just means that if this is your area of sales expertise, the basket that holds all your eggs, and the one trick your horse has mastered…you have a problem.
In today’s economy, as a sales professional, you have two key goals: find the money and go after the money. You can’t chase and hope to catch something that doesn’t exist. In good economic times, “persuasion skills” and a little cat-and-mouse game can help you get ahead with indecisive prospects. In tough times, you are potentially dealing with prospects who are living in fear, panic, in “survival mode.” The prolonged effort you waste trying to “persuade” them keeps you away from other, more qualified prospects.
A colleague called me recently. He owns a small business that specializes in incentive gifts…items like coffee mugs emblazoned with a corporate logo. He lamented the fact that “things are tough right now.” He asked me if he had any customers who might need his products and services. I explained to him that many of the business owners I’ve spoken to in recent days are hesitant to spend a single penny on what they consider “non-essential purchases.” An additional problem lies in their definition of things they consider “essential”. That includes expenses that, ironically, could help them survive… marketing, advertising and promotion. I told my colleague that unless you are able to approach a prospective customer and clearly articulate how your products and services will make you money, save you money, or bring you new customers, you are most likely not going to get an expanded audience. with the.
In this scenario, my colleague has an overwhelmingly difficult raise. You can find the money by moving out of your current small business owner comfort zone onto a larger corporate playing field, but once you’re standing on it, you’ll still be challenged to craft your value proposition. At this particular time, companies do not have to provide benefits to their employees. They simply need to point out the daily headlines and layoff stories. The ascent must go higher, through the first level of clouds, through the first levels of people who have money to spend.
Once that level is reached, a new challenge presents itself. Perhaps “incentive gifts” determined to be appropriate for small business owners will not be approved in larger businesses. That requires a new offering, and with it, a new value proposition.
It all starts with finding the money and doing extensive research on the person or company that owns it. The second step is to identify any areas of growth or challenges that the person or business is currently facing. The third step is to craft a value proposition, preferably accompanied by detailed and glowing testimonials from current customers, which clearly and unquestionably translates into making the prospect money, saving them money, or attracting new customers.
A salesperson who can do that is a salesperson who can successfully sell in any economy. The remaining vendors need to internalize all of the elements outlined above and aggressively implement them. Consistency of effort will produce the desired results, but more importantly, it will also result in a “selection” process that empowers the vendor to identify the best markets and the best approach in each. Let go of the familiar. Get out of the comfort zone. Take a deep breath, put a smile on your face and get to work.
