9/18/10

Does your intrepidity (fearlessness) shine through every day?

Q: Does your intrepidity shine through?

Cover of "The Magnificent Seven (Special ...A: One of my all time favorite movies was the Hollywood Epic, The Magnificent Seven staring Yul Brenner and a fabulous cast in a great western. It was true (in this movie) that the Magnificent Seven were very willing and able to fight tirelessly for a cause. But in this case, their intentions were to create an ideal situation without bloodshed. A situation that included giving the villagers the inner and morale strength to stand up for themselves and send the bad guys a message that this village just might not be a push over to their nefarious ways.
When it comes to sales or managing a business, if your inner person is “right” then your confidence, knowledge and fearless level will shine through in the way you carry yourself and approach any given situation and/or competition. Your confidence level, when shinning through, puts people around you on notice that you are a force to be dealt with.
The solution meets the problem when you offer a “demo” whether with props or verbalization. I firmly believe when I personally am in this mode, it is a test of my ability. And failing tests in not an option for me nor should it be for you.
When you sell a service, your prospect has to visualize the service and its impact or positive results on him/her. And if a picture or even a mental image is worth a thousand words, then a live demonstration is probably worth 10,000 words because our brains act a hundred times faster on what we see than the image our imagination portrays.
My message today is that your confidence level can act as the perceived problem solver for increased productivity, providing happiness, minimizing negativity and improving lives to name just a few areas. Make the problem areas come alive, then create a sense of urgency by not only identifying the problem(s) but the effect the problem has on the other person or company.
For an example, an ordinary sales person is so interested in “the pitch” that he/she isn’t aware that the buyer has gotten accustomed to living in a pan of water that’s steadily getting warmer and warmer. A consummate sales professional has a “fire raging through his/her hair” and infects the prospect with that urgency of solving his/her problem.
Don’t try to convince the prospect with rhetorical nonsense, self centered rationale, features and benefits. Paint a picture of how hot that water is going to get and what the ultimate outcome will be if they don’t react if something isn’t done.

So here is my self evaluating question to you; “Does your intrepidity (fearlessness) shine through every day?”

As always I wish you an absolute tremendous week all good and no evil. Your questions and/or comments are always welcome here. And of course, if I can ever be of assistance to you and/or your organization, please call or write and I will respond immediately.

Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC

9/12/10

How Can I Be Different From Every Other Sales Professional?

Q: My Company is fairly large and well regarded and I am an experienced sales professional. What can I do to differentiate myself from thousands of other sales professionals who do similar work?
(Sandra J., VP of Sales, Athens, GA)
A: Every professional faces the same issues of differentiation, regardless of firm size, discipline, products or services. Certainly your personal reputation from prior work and, often in a large firm, the reputation of your sales partners can make a big difference.

However, people shop on rationality and buy on emotion. In the minds of a buyer of professional services, particularly the more senior they are, there is a greater likelihood of identifying with you if you come across as a peer. This means exhibiting leadership characteristics. And it’s a proven fact that professionals who are also innovators grow more rapidly than those who have a tendency to “go with the flow.”

One of the best ways leaders relate is by having relational stories to tell. Stories, more than dry recitations of capabilities that are virtually indistinguishable from others, help you emotionally connect. Great leaders can tell three stories:

1. About themselves (what you stand for, where you came from)
2. About the organization they represent (you are promoting your firm as well as yourself)
3. About how they have made/can make people feel they are part of something bigger than themselves (this can be about past clients, community organizations or missions that you and your audience have in common)

Your stories won't get you in the door - only your capabilities, experience and value will. Create the stories that define you and your commitment to professional service and you are much more likely to connect. And connecting to somebody new is truly the key. Tell [your] story and make it happen from there.

As always, please accept my wishes for a tremendous week.

Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
Client Growth Consultants