Pride & Preparation
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines pride as: self-respect. What are your personal standards? In sales, pride is about character and integrity. When a customer expresses a need, you need to answer this need with the best possible win-win solution and not any easy workaround that will only benefit you in the short term. Firstly, as a sales professional, how do you show character and integrity in your sales? Are you simply trying to hit your sales numbers or are you willing to spend a little more time on fixing objectives, understanding and listening to your customer’s needs, having a positive attitude and keeping your commitments? How do you understand and listen to your customer’s needs? Well, we can help you! We’ve recently launched a visual campaign of the MHI Global’s Best Sales Practices research. The findings are coupled with the corresponding resources that can help you progress, all of it is free! You can check it out by clicking HERE. Even with all the right tools, things do not always go as expected. It’s never easy when you lose a big customer or sale, in fact, it can be plainly depressing. This is where your pride comes in once again, how do you deal with the situation when it happens? Paul Bryant, long-time head coach of the University of Alabama football team, wrote:
“If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride - and never quit, you'll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards.” (Tweet this) Be aware of your self-worth; do not accept less than what is possible and walk in your next meeting with, not only confidence, but also with integrity. Taking pride in your work alone is not enough, you will need to couple it with preparation. Too many salespeople go in without preparation. An IDC study showed that only one out of six sales professional were “extremely” prepared while fifty seven percent were either not or somewhat prepared (IDC Executive Advisory Group) Preparation goes from getting to fully know your customers to the products or services you can offer to meet their needs to eventual scenarios that could occur in a sales meeting or cycle. Preparation is key to sales success. Watch the video below for a one-minute pitch on Pride and Preparation and get some tips on how to apply this to your sales cycle. You can also learn more from the Sales Performance category on our website with the latest insight, research papers and best practices. Have a great week selling! [su_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi-VL9C2QwQ&feature=youtu.be"]