How To Sell, engage
Too often, we close the sale before we even open it.
Interact first, sell second.
Seth Godin had an interest post the other day, The panhandler’s secret, on his blog. Summary of the story is a panhandler traded him four quarters for a dollar bill (fair trade). Then asked if he had a spare quarter.
I agree with the post by Seth here. I know of too many people who are so sales-focused, their strategy rests solely on a yes or no. Before taking the time to know who the person is, their company, and what they have to offer.
How can you sell your service, before you know if this person has a need or resources available? The panhandler in Godin’s story here took the time to ensure what he was going to ask for was available. Before trading, he did not know if Seth had a quarter; after the trade, it was much more difficult to reject the request – there was already time invested in the relationship.
For those of you who know me, understand how I network, develop business, sell, etc. I understand that not everybody will be a good prospect, for me personally to do business with. I did not get into recruiting for the A/E/C industry to be a vacuum salesman.
Relationships. Develop them. Grow them.
A good friend lives by the following statement: Build your herds now, and ask later.
I’ll go out on a limb here, though I know many will disagree. People in this economy still have money, the difference is they are spending it with their business relationships rather than who comes in at the lowest bid. Consumers want to know their dollar is worth it and will spend an extra few pennies with the assurance of working with somebody they know.
