People are always selling someone something.
Everybody, without exception. We are always exchanging currency. But we are rarely creating and selling value. Value is a premium and it improves its shareholder’s return.
I am a master salesperson and I am a student and a teacher. I enjoy watching people in the moments when they are engaged in commerce.
For this brief post, let us not focus on the mundane transactions, but instead devote ourselves to the sale of professional services. Suppose that you are not the low cost provider.
Some people are better salespeople than others. There are many variables and a person who is bad at selling this product here might be great at selling that service there.
There is no magic potion that will make that person, who is in the wrong place for them, at the wrong time for them, a superstar. It is not realistic.
What we can do is optimize that person’s actions and maybe that makes their life a little better, richer and less stressed. Maybe also we can have that person stay long enough at their job so they do become the right person at the right time and place. When that happens, we make that person’s life better and happiness has a network effect.
Do you believe in what you sell? Have you seen it improve peoples lives? Has your CEO thanked you for choosing their company. Have your clients thanked you? Have they explained to you why they choose your firm and why you?
People, salespeople and prospects need to find a value more precious than just wages. They need to believe that some sliver of life has been made better and that is their contribution to the goodwill of their universe.
To sell something at a premium you have to attach a value to something that is not on a spreadsheet.
To buy something for a premium you need to attach a value to something that isn’t on a spreadsheet.
What is an example of something not on a spreadsheet?
Discretionary effort is (almost) priceless.
Will you answer the phone when something goes wrong?
Do you know the hiccups to be expected in onboading so you can guide them and minimize disruption?
Do you instill the confidence that nothing been misrepresented that will come back to haunt both sides and imperil job security
That prospect does not want ‘cheaper’, they may ask for cost reduction but the lower the price the more the premium and intangible value has been converted to a field on a spreadsheet. The prospect is expected to ask for a discount, that is their vendor management. You must be disciplined and decline.
That takes nerves of steel.
We all want to relieve the stress of that moment. But don’t.
Don’t try and become their friend to ease that moment. You will have anxiety, you may lose some sleep. Learn to let it go, to have more prospects so that someone is always saying yes when others are saying no.
That is also proper expectations. You will have some stress. You will not always be agreeable to your prospects and you can’t be their friend until you have endured that extended moment. It may take hours or days. There may be back and forth, questions and answers. It’s a volley.
“A life is like a garden, perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. Live long and prosper. “Last tweet of Leonard Nimoy