Defining the Sales Process

Since we've been living on this big marble, the sales process has been a part of everyday life. There is no escaping it and very little moves forward without it.

Centuries ago, the currency may have been a bag of rice for a piece of furniture but the barter system is alive and well. The media may have been a local market or horse-drawn carriage, but business clicked along.

We tend to get caught up in gadgets and interfaces and think they are what drives business. As much as they may accelerate the process, give us the chance to find similar thinking people around the globe and open doors that would never otherwise be opened, the exchange of services or products for currency hasn’t differed.

Know What You're Selling

When I was a kid, my buddy Mark’s dad worked as a life insurance salesman. As he put it, he sold “peace of mind” to families. Now you can build a client list through customer relationship management (CRM), database marketing and social media but the offer hasn't changed all these years later. If you sell insurance, the theory stands that you are selling peace of mind.

It’s easy to point to an exchange of money for a product as a “sale”. But what has to happen before that exchange occurs? Does the company not have to let potential customers know about the product? Isn’t there a network or supply chain required?

Honing the Offer

I was having dinner a few weeks ago with a client who challenged the notion that we are all in sales because her definition is the point of exchange and not the myriad other things that need to happen to get there. Her 15 years as a commission sales rep was her experience in sales. She went through the process of finding prospects, calling on them, showing the benefits of what she offered and ending with a monetary exchange. Her point is that as much as we all 'sell ourselves', someone has to close the deal. My contention is that a lot has to happen to help that deal close from people throughout the enterprise.

I often see product and creative people scoff at sales people as a necessary evil. But when discussions of chickens and eggs come up, the tie breaker is that we are all in the product AND sales business because neither can survive without the other. What I like to do is help business owners and managers work ON their business when most of the effort is working IN their business. And I sell every day.

Are You in Sales?

Kneale Mann

image credit: mspmentor

Both Sides of Customer Service

Completing the Circle

It may be safe to say that I am among the vast majority of people who don’t like to go to the doctor or dentist. We scaredy cats would rather do just about anything to avoid it. Perhaps it's fear of pain or worry they will find something wrong.

After a couple of years, I went to the dentist this week. All the fretting and avoidance was for not. From the moment I walked through threshold of the office, I was greeted with a friendly face, sat in a nice waiting room, spent an hour with my hygienist who rocked and the dentist herself was kind and friendly. Despite wanting to have been just about anywhere else, the experience was enjoyable.

Managing Expectations

Our hope is to get good service when we buy something from a store or online portal. Sadly, the bar is low. So if it’s reasonably enjoyable or maybe even somewhat hassle free, we’re good. That is simply not acceptable. Yet we are customers and providers giving and taking, selling and buying all day long. Customer service is not a one-way experience. If you're not prepared to give great customer service, don't be surprised if your revenue line decreases.

Now you could argue that the guy behind the sandwich counter at lunch doesn’t need to be friendly when you have 20 minutes to keep the wolf from the door, but these things build up. We can’t turn on our good customer service for the things we deem important and do the minimum for the rest.

Beyond Skills

The dentist’s office doesn’t just clean and fix my teeth. The friendly competent nice people provide a safe place where a fully grown man can be a big baby for no concrete reason. And in this particular case, they seem to enjoy what they do. And that's the second part of providing great customer service.

The cliché that we're all in sales is not the whole story. Don’t sell me; show me why I should engage with you. And I won’t sell you; I will show you how I can enhance what you need. And floss daily!

What are your thoughts?

Kneale Mann