How do you describe what you do?
Our words can give prospects an image or a feeling about what it might be like to work with us.
For years, I tried on various marketing tag lines and tried different explanations about why I was different, but I struggled to find the right words.
I don’t know about you, but I love things that are hiding in plain sight.
Given that I had struggled with this, I asked mutipled clients about some words that describe my B2B sales process, and I started to hear a theme… and it was a theme I really liked because it made so much sense.
The consistent phrase that my clients have used to describe my signature sales process is: Humble Sales, or Sales with Humilty.
Gone are the days that B2B sales is conducted with pressure, tactics, and tricks that feel icky and uncomfortable.
With many companies still conducting sales conversations by accident, making it up as they go, or being told to memorise scripts… this does nothing for the people who are tasked with business development because they aren’t permitted to be themselves.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Imagine this
You have a meeting with a prospective customer, and it feels calm, collaborative, comfortable and engaging.
They say things to you like, “this is so insightful”, “no one has ever explained things like this before”, “I didn’t realise that services like yours could help us achieve competitive advantage” and “this is the most enjoyable conversation we’ve had so far in looking for these services”.
You win the contract, at full price, even though you are priced above your competitors… and the client is thrilled to work with you.
This is very possible. In fact, if sales was “done” right, this should be the every day standard.
Where it goes wrong
With no thanks to Hollywood movies or stereotypical car salespeople, modern day Professional Services businesses have been given a bum-steer about how to “do” sales.
Resulting from this, are businesses who aren’t up to date on modern practices of sales. It seems they aren’t even surrounded by good examples of sales, which is why my prospects feel so open and refreshed when they learn how it can (aka, should) be done.
I’m continuously meeting with companies so scarred by that type of sales, that they tell me “Julia, our company doesn’t do sales”.
Of course, what they mean by this, is that they aren’t doing sales in that old-style stereotypical manner.
I very often reply with “you don’t do revenue?”
Of course they do revenue. And for all my clients, they do plenty of it, but it’s about accepting the term “sales” as an essential business skill.
I’ve even been asked to remove the word “sales” from a proposal and replace it with “business development” because it might trigger other decision makers into the negative.
Where it goes right
When conducted correctly, your sales process should be built on:
- Listening, not talking
- Informing, not pitching
- Trust, not doubt
- Collaboration, not domination
- Human conversation, not robotic scripts
- Process, not accident
This should all lead to you being easy to buy from, exciting to partner with, and with (great) clients who stay with you for life!
Bringing the old, into the new
Sales is the oldest profession in the world, so my quest is about demonstrating to B2B companies that there is a modern day way of doing sales that is purposeful, trust-driven, humanised and enjoyable.
It is, Sales with Humility.
Where your front line team can just be themselves. They don’t have to remember any cheesy scripts or dial up their energy to be extraverted.
Is your company ready?
Is 2023 the year where you will implement a sales process into your company?
I’m currently booking in clients for March/April in 2023 so I encourage you get in touch ASAP for an informal chat so we can plan for your year ahead.
