A good friend gave me an important kick in the pants over lunch last week. I was sharing my struggle with the development of a new product… sharing all the reasons why I felt it wasn’t going to get done. Her response, “Jill, you need to change your story. This one isn’t serving you.” She was referring to the story I had “created” in my head as to why this product development process wasn’t working for me.
I’ve been told many times that the human mind is the greatest fiction writer. And sales pros can be masterful story tellers. I could compile an entire novel from the fantasies I hear from the field… for example:
- Executives never take sales calls.
- Decisions always come down to price.
- There’s not enough time in the day to get the important stuff done.
- Everyone hides behind voice mail and e-mail. (OK there’s some truth in this one but let’s face it the selling community has been a major contributor to this behaviour.)
Reality: The stories you create govern your actions. They can slow you down, even paralyze you. Or they can inspire and motivate you. So choose wisely…
To help you along here are rewrites of these four scenarios… based on fact not fiction:
Fact #1: Executives will respond to, and spend time with, sales pros that bring relevant and fresh expertise to priority business issues. So it’s your job to make that happen. Don’t even attempt to connect at the executive level unless you’ve done your homework and are equipped to talk on their terms… and to their priorities.
Fact #2: No-one wants to pay more than they have to… for anything. But people do. Earn the right to charge more. Be diligent about understanding your prospects motives and priorities in any given purchasing situation; build your sales strategy around organizations that value the services you offer. Be open to understanding why sometimes the lowest cost provider is good enough… then make a decision… to play… or walk away.
Fact #3: While there is only a finite amount of time in every day there are infinite choices in how you spend that time. Getting important things done has nothing to do with availability of time and everything to do with how you choose to prioritize your time, and protect it, to focus your attention on the important things.
Fact #4: Customers have been trained by a steady stream of valueless self-serving sellers who have nothing to offer other than “I want to sell you something.” You can bring buyers out of hiding by sending messages based on your understanding of their interests… and your ability to contribute to their success in ways that are meaningful to them now.
Before you leave this blog, think about your own “disabling” stories. Fact or fiction? Be prepared to replace them with the facts that serve rather than stall you.
Do you have a great work of fiction inside your head? Need help with a rewrite? Post a comment below and I will personally respond.
