In Episode 19, we move into the second half of this mini-series tackling the very common (and ugly) reasons that salespeople and sales teams are not as effective as they could be – and, specifically, why they are not viewed like the pros, advisors, experts, consultants, and value-creators they so badly want to be.
Buckle up for straight talk and blunt truth as Mike unpacks reasons 5 and 6 of the Ugly 8 reasons…
WHY SELLERS GET VIEWED AS AMATEURS, RELEGATED TO VENDOR STATUS & COMMODITIZED:
Reason #5 is as counterintuitive as it gets. We don’t own our sales process and end up getting viewed as nothing more than order-takers and yes-men/women because we want to be liked. We want to be seen as responsive and easy to work with. We want to demonstrate that we listen well, can follow direction, and that we respect the customer.
That is all wonderful except for one big problem: in many cases defaulting to the customer’s requested (or dictated) process does not turn out so well for us…
doesn’t increase our win-rates, doesn’t help set us apart from competition, and honestly, doesn’t even ensure we will get the customer what they really need.
Sales Friends, if you’ve come to realize that scoring “obedience” points is not helping you win deals and bring in new business, this episode is for you.
Listen as Mike shares his two driving missions as a professional salesperson and encourages you to adopt them as your own. Learn how to own your process and push back when the prospect or their procurement people suggest/dictate a process that neither allows you to bring them the best solution (most value) nor gives you the best chance of winning their business.
Reason #6 we get viewed as vendors and commoditized is because we aim too low in the customer organization. As crazy as it sounds, we end up getting commoditized because we sellers become comfortable dealing with lower-level people who treat us as nothing more than a vendor/supplier.
Mike shares the dirty little secret of sellers who regularly call on senior management: You know what/who you normally find in the executive suite? Nicer people. Smarter people. People who are looking for value and help solving big business issues! It’s often the complete opposite of dealing with lower-level folks who are more concerned with politics, protecting their jobs and existing supplier relationships, negotiating to save a nickel, or trying to avoid more work being put on their desk.
You can download the PDF guide that accompanies this series at https://mikeweinberg.com/ugly8
If you are getting value from these episodes, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
Mike mentioned a special on the New Sales. Simplified. Video Coaching Series to help you have breakthrough success in 2022. Check it out here: https://mikeweinberg.com/morenewsales/.
