101 Best Sales and Marketing Ideas
IDEA 25:
ADOPT THE RIGHT ATTITUDE
Sales people often ask me what the key to sales success is. Would that it was so simple! Success comes not from one thing, but is largely in the details: the approach, the techniques used- and the attitude that people take to it. This is more than just the ubiquitous “positive mental attitude” beloved of many a book on how to be successful (in selling or anything else). It comprises a number of attitudes, including:
- A conscious and considered awareness of the psychology of selling and how it works. The best sales people always seem to have a clear understanding of what they are doing and deploying the right approaches at the right moment.
- A customer focus: because the psychology of decision making and buying demands this and it is a foundation for success.
- A will to win and an ability to not allow any rejection along the way to cramp their style. As few (if any) sales people have a 100 per cent strike rate this is simply necessary.
- Persistence: because not every order comes easily or instantly.
- Creativity: even a superficial reading of this book shows the need for that.
- Awareness that selling is a dynamic process. It cannot be done by rote in the same way forever. What works for one person today may need to be done differently for someone else next week, certainly next year. Good sales people keep their approaches updated.
There are no doubt more, though some will stem from those listed. Attitudes underpin action, so how we think about things is an important as what is done. Thus it is helpful if you have habits that act to remind you of the attitudes you should adopt and maintain.
Idea
In computer giant IBM …
All I want to stress here is one aspect of the power of attitude, which is given weight by being favoured by such a large, well-known organization. According to marketing guru Philip Kotler, a maxim used in every IBM internal training course is that whoever a sales person is talking to, they should conduct the meeting as if they are about to lose the order. Holding such a thought will help strengthen that is done, marketing it thorough and maximizing persuasiveness.
In practice
- Identify those attitudes you can usefully display.
- Work at displaying them (this may go beyond your natural persona).