Sales professionals talk a lot about the importance of having a personal value proposition. Let’s not confuse a “value proposition” with selling values. Selling values are what you bring into the customer relationship and are based on your personal values; such as, how you approach your job or how you treat the people around you. It’s important to remember that your sales values are not all that are important. The value that you bring to the customer relationship is equally as important. Let’s review the top six values shared by the world’s top sales professionals. 1. Independence. The only person you can really count on to get things done is yourself. You may work for a great financial institution with excellent management, diversified product offerings and service that excels. Don’t hesitate to do whatever it takes to move the sale forward, even if it means working longer hours to help your customer. 2. Courage. Never give up when you’re hit with objections. Remember that customers are rejecting your product, not you. So, “carry on”. Don’t push. Help your customer see the value of Payment Protection. You won’t sell by wishful thinking. Be prepared to address your customers’ concerns. Move on, without regrets. 3. Pride. Every customer relationship is a relationship between equals. What you learn from your customer will help you identify what is important to them and assist you to identify their Payment Protection needs. This is the time to “get personal” and not shy away from asking important questions. 4. Creativity. Customers don’t have the time to sit with cookie-cutter sales reps. Be that sales professional that always has time for the customer who’s sitting with you. Redefine their problems and provide solutions. The more creativity you bring to your work, the more invaluable you will be to them. 5. Confidence. Never take on an apologetic air. Smart customers can smell fear and will ask for exceptions or even amuse themselves by making you jump through meaningless hoops. Be prepared!! Know how to maneuver through your loan system or quoting system effortlessly and know your Payment Protection product. The more confident you are, the better prepared you will be to address technical issues and/or product concerns. 6. Honesty. Share your feelings with the customer to move the Payment Protection sale forward. If you believe that the customer is making a mistake by not investing in the product, respectfully point out why you see that their situation may benefit from its value. Last, but not least, be yourself! Don’t try to mirror the actions of other sales professionals if it’s not your style. Customers will see through it. Use your unique sales values to build solid customer relationships. cbsnews.com PPI/For Internal Training Use Only Download PDF version here
