Are You Retrenching or Retooling?

I’ve seen all manner of strategery and angst surround this “new selling mystique” seemingly spreading like wildfire across our industry.

“It’s harder. It takes longer. I’m not seeing the results I want to see.” In other words, “How can I make it easier?”

These might be valid points. However, it continues to be my observation that change is often not difficult. Rather, change is simply uncomfortable; people don’t feel comfortable with change most of the time – especially when it threatens their sense of security and risks uprooting their carefully crafted geranium.

Michael Gerber, in his book The E-Myth Revisited, submits that,

…three distinct yet thoroughly integrated activities [are essential for your business to] pursue its natural evolution [and be wildly successful]: Innovation, Quantification, and Orchestration.

While innovation is often used as a synonym for creativity, Gerber points out that Harvard Professor Theodore Levitt had this to say about the difference:

The difference between innovation and creativity is the difference between thinking about getting things done and getting things done.

I’ve seen so many sales professionals (and I do use that term loosely) focus solely upon their product, and miss the point of their opportunity. While I can’t argue with an empty stomach, Gerber  is quick to point out so many American businesses have yet to realize it is not,

…the commodity demanding innovation, it is the process by which it is sold.

Each and every part of your business, every customer touch-point, is a way to impact your selling cycle through solid marketing.

Innovation must always have the customer in mind, because the only reason a business exists is to serve its customers. Innovation should distill your business to its critical essentials – simplifying things for the people in your company, not complicating things.

Innovation at work can be simple.

What if you always asked questions like, “May I help you?” as your opening question? If you’ve ever been furniture shopping, browsing in a department store, or had the occasion of spending any time on a car lot, what do you usually say?

- “No, thanks. I’m just looking,” right?

If you reframed this to something easy, such as, “Have you been here before?””, you now have an open ended question to which your customer is not as psychologically defensive. You can then handle any answer given with a redirection to spending more time with the customer. Data indicates just by reframing how a team member presents this one question, his or her sales will increase by 10 and 16 percent.

… and since this is basic human psychology, it extends beyond the sales of a commodity good. Think about reframing questions to children, spouses, coworkers, or interviewers.

In a nutshell, I hear that this is one of the toughest selling environments in recent history. While I can certainly empathize with the feeling that you might want to accept a lower closing ratio, have you ever took a closer look at how your program meets a customer’s needs?

I would warrant a guess that if you look to those business professionals being successful, they have figured out the new tipping point in their customers’ minds; the only choice left for you might just be whether you are retrenching for yesterday’s battle or retooling to win tomorrow’s war.

*special thanks to Mark for the title question.

Image Courtesy of SuperFantastic.

Ken Stewart’s website, ChangeForge, focuses on the collision between the constantly changing worlds of business and technology in an information-centric world. Ken serves on the board of the new Managed Print Services Association, an international industry organization seeking worldwide best practices for the managed print services industry. He is also the founder of Seeking the Son. He is always interested in connecting with you.