If You Do Sales Calls, You’ve Lost

I was on a “sales call” yesterday, talking with a medical practice about integrating social media into their marketing efforts.

As you probably know, I don’t sell. I engage in creative sessions with my prospects.

And I do that for two reasons:

1. It is way easier on me. No pressure to close anything. Just sitting with the prospect, listening, offering ideas and helping. This actually becomes fun. And honestly, I always learn something.

2. More importantly, it is much easier on/better for the prospect. They may not ultimately engage me, but they get some value, learn something, get some new ideas, but also learn to trust me, and get a sense of what working with me would be like.

I like to go into these sales calls (and I hate calling them sales calls) PURPOSELY not selling. Trying to close something puts my focus on closing, which means my focus is on ME and what I AM doing and saying.

The focus should be on THEM.

It almost reminds me of Br’er Rabbit’s approach to escaping his captor, and uttering “Please don’t throw me in dat briar patch…”

So yesterday, it was music to my ears to hear someone say “Imagine what ideas he’ll spit out after we pay him.” That is exactly what I want people to think and feel when they are talking with me. We had a great time, sharing ideas, had an honest and open discussion, and in the end, we all had a fun conversation.

I like my chances of serving these folks much better than if I had gone in their with some big agenda, scripts, and intent on delivering a fine pitch.

In my humble opinion, a “sales call” connotes this old way of selling, the pressure-packed (for both sides) method of pitching and hitting all the right message points, where you are more worried about your sales performance than the performance of your prospect’s business.

If you do sales calls, you’ve lost. Instead, build, serve, care, converse, engage, and just try to help. You are still selling this way, but with this approach, you will be liked, trusted and appreciated when it is over…

What do you think?

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[cartoon by hugh macleod]

http://www.firstlightpropertymanagement.com/ Trevor Henson

Great post, Todd. I would add one more suggestion to your list: old school networking. This is approach is especially effective in the multifamily industry where it can take YEARS of careful networking to garner the trust of a client. _TH
Todd Schnick

old school networking, if done right, is never a bad thing!
http://twitter.com/youngbloodtodd Todd Youngblood

I think I might want to debate this post a bit. For the most part, I agree with the “serve customers” approach, and the traditional “sales pitch” truly can be a hideous experience for a customer.

That said, I think you might be providing a convenient excuse for the sort of sales rep who might more appropriately have the title “professional visitor.” i.e., Someone who builds awesome relationships and earns great credibility, but never sells anything.

Strategy and tactics surely matter, but the fact that the sales rep’s primary responsibility is to generate revenue is – well – a FACT! Neither the rep nor the customer should EVER be led to believe differently.
Todd Schnick

well todd, you are of course, correct. if, for a minute, you assume i am suggesting that their main purpose is NOT selling and generating revenue…

no no, making revenue is the goal. no doubt. i am merely suggesting the “old school sales call” approach should change…

we need to shift from regurgitating facts to co-creating solutions with our prospects…
http://www.agisllc.com Michael Bethuy

There is no doubt that sales calls tilt the playing field against you. Isn’t it better when the prospect calls you? Of course it is! This post makes some good points about building trust and credibility. However, readers should be mindful of clients who are searching for fee consulting. We have a “no hassle” sales policy (in keeping with this article) and will rarely call prospects back aggressively, but we also limit the amount of free consulting we will provide to one or two meetings. After that they must engage us even if for only a small fee. That demonstrates commitment on their part as a buyer. All relationships go two ways after all.
Todd Schnick

well said. and i never suggested a sales person should do free consulting. but, nothing wrong with co-creating a solution that the prospect then wants to hire you to help bring that vision to life…

i am merely suggesting a new way to wet the appetites of your prospects!
http://www.agisllc.com Michael Bethuy

..and I totally agree with your approach!

If You Do Sales Calls, You’ve Lost

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