| The second you quit being the 'best deal' for your | | | | will have the same needs, the same problems they |
| customer, he'll drop you like a hot potato. Regardless | | | | want solved, and the same attitudes about buying. If |
| of how many lunches you've bought him or birthdays | | | | you can solve their problems in a cost effective way, |
| you've remembered.Every business we've ever | | | | then getting their business is just a matter of staying in |
| consulted tells us the same thing about their sales | | | | front of their face long enough to let them know you |
| force. They say that their industry is different from all | | | | have the answers they need.Don't Manage Cherries, |
| the others and the only effective way for their | | | | Manage Trees!The cherry tree is a useful sales |
| salespeople to sell is to build buddy-buddy relationships | | | | analogy. Like a fruit tree, sales prospects must be |
| with their prospects and customers. We hear it from | | | | cultivated in a certain way if they are to bear fruit. The |
| printers, bankers, jewelers, accountants, industrial | | | | problem is that most salespeople spend 80% of their |
| equipment manufacturers, office equipment | | | | time managing leads and trying to build |
| distributors...and every other industry that sells stuff.The | | | | relationships...managing each cherry on the tree. If the |
| argument usually goes something like this: "You see, in | | | | prospect doesn't happen to be 'ripe' at the exact |
| our industry, people put a lot of thought into this type of | | | | moment the sales rep makes the call, the prospect is |
| decision. They just don't go out and buy from whoever | | | | forgotten. Goes rotten. At best, he gets the annoying |
| has the prettiest advertisements. As a matter of fact, | | | | monthly phone call from the salesperson that invariably |
| we still have many of the same customers from when | | | | says, "You ready to move on those widgets yet?"In |
| my grandfather owned the business. Now their | | | | the MYM system, you spend your prospecting efforts |
| grandsons buy from us. You just can't change these | | | | on the entire tree. You provide the tree with light, |
| things overnight."Relationship Selling Is A Myth. Like all | | | | water, and nutrients - and it bears fruit. You provide |
| myths, there are some elements of truth to it. Yes, it's | | | | your entire target market of prospects with |
| true that your customers should like you. Yes, it's true | | | | information, education and knowledge until it becomes |
| that you can't necessarily influence big buying decisions | | | | self-evident to them that you are the only logical |
| overnight. But get one thing perfectly clear - your | | | | choice when it comes to your products or services.By |
| customers buy from you for one reason: they believe | | | | the time the prospect figures out that you are the best |
| you have "the best deal."Now their definition of what's | | | | deal, he doesn't really care who YOU are. He only |
| the best deal may be different from the next person's. | | | | cares what you have to offer HIM. When you finally sit |
| But generally, it has a lot to do with a combination of | | | | down face-to-face, it will be to discuss details of the |
| things like convenience, quality, consistency, service, | | | | sale - not to 'persuade' him to do anything. |
| and price. Usually, about 80% of a given target market | | | | |