I was once asked to do a rather unusual thing. The request affirmed that technical competency does not mean sales competency. Here’s what happened. A client had a product (a ground-breaking software). He also had a compelling testimonial of it from a wowed customer, and the gravitas to marshal key decision makers (most C-suite) from
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Respect yourself, respect the customer and honour your profession—quit passing the buck. “Your account was to be credited yesterday but “they” haven’t done it.” “They” had said that “they” would email you the ticket but it appears they did not. “They” were supposed to have sent you the cheque book last week, you mean “they”
Embrace resistance from prospects as a norm in selling. It is the rare prospect who opens his arms wide to be sold to. Even when wearing the prospect’s hat, a salesperson acts in that precise fashion-he resists. Examples of sales resistance include the customer avoiding you, or declining your request for appointment. It can also be
“Bye-bye 2023. Welcome 2024.” 2023 is gone. It’s never coming back. So, quit driving looking at the rear-view mirror of ‘should have’ and ‘could have.’ Look, instead, at the windscreen of “Can do” and “Will do”. Otherwise, forget the mishaps you had in 2023. In 2024 you’ll be rushing headlong into a crash. As you
“It’s not me, it’s the economy,” so you say. And, to justify your many misses and rare hits those in your corner energize you’re position: “It’s not you; it’s the prospects that don’t have money. The problem is the economy; this economy needs fixing by the government.” Maybe. Maybe not; maybe it’s not the economy,
#Economyneedsfixingmeaning, #Howdoesasalespersonhelpstimulatetheeconomy, #Howdoyousurviveabadeconomy?
Dear employer, especially this December, remember that the salesperson isn’t one who merely sells the product or service. That’s an archaic way of defining the profession. The world has dramatically moved from the days when the only source of digital information for Kenyans was VoK. The 21st C prospects have become wiser and the market
“If they are not there by the time I arrive, cancel the contract!” So fumed the Operations Director of the shipping line that was also this travel agent’s largest client. The salesperson knew the consequences of losing this contract. He’d lose his job too. (A (non) fun fact. If you are a salesperson, there are
The percentage of sales people that quit must be highest for any profession. Put differently, the profession with the highest turnover is Sales. And there’s reason why most people quit Sales. It is difficult to see a compelling tomorrow when you cannot raise your eyes away from a trying today. This is the predicament that those
Today I wish to share sales (or lack thereof) experiences, from a customer’s viewpoint. This is in the hope that business owners will take heed how to stop losing customers. Unless of course you want to debate the disadvantages of losing customers. No? OK. Here is a customer’s perspective on reasons why your business could
“Sorry, Sir. You’re unable to cash this cheque over the counter, as it’s not opened,” the cashier at my bank explained. I cursed under my breath. I knew this! What a silly and, about to be, costly mistake in terms of time wasted looking for the other signatories and queuing afresh, I had made! In