Robin Hall
Sales, as it is defined by Webster’s dictionary, “the exchange of a commodity for money; the action of selling something”. When we hear this word, most of us have a negative feeling within us. If we hear someone say that they are in sales, we (ok, me) think that they are going to try to get us to buy something that we do not need. We all know the phrase, “He can sell ice to an Eskimo”. I am hoping to change your mind a bit when you are done reading this.
When I started out consulting and doing bookkeeping using QuickBooks financial software, I simply wanted to help people get their financial house in order so that they were able to run their business based on financial data and not just flying by the seat of their pants. Over the last 15 years my view has changed about sales and what that has meant to my continued growth. I still don’t like the word sales, but my version of sales is not the typical definition of sales.
Typically, my clients find me on the web or from word of mouth. Many of them have some type of problem that they believe I can solve. Interestingly, some of them know that they have a problem, but don’t know exactly what it is but they know that something is not quite right.
When I start to talk about their company and their pressing current issues we always seem to find something they need in order to help their business run smoother. Sometimes we find that the issues are simply product related and sometimes they only need consulting type services. I rarely go into a company or meeting with a client with a list of what I want to sell them. I go in with a tool box and I try to match up the right tool to their situation. I go in with an open mind and try to find out how to ease their pain. If that either means training, software, or a tool, then we always do whatever is best for that client. There is no hard core sales process. The benefits of the product or services are placed in front of them and they are there to make the decision without any pressure, period, end of story.