You probably be asking the question, "Is there such a thing? Is there a sales strategy based on the teaching of Steven Covey? What can Steve teach us about selling?" For those of you who are selling medical equipment, you definitely can find some sound strategies for your medical equipment job in the previous article.And still, there's no Steven Covey anywhere there ...
It is interesting to note that people who search for Steven Covey sales strategy is actually looking for 'Stephen Covey sales strategy' where Dr. Stephen is the infamous author for Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People. But to the best of my knowledge (that's after 12 years of making sales), I've yet to come across a specific Covey's sales strategy because...
... Obviously, he's promoting it with offline sales strategy back then--book sales, seminar, audio tapes, video, etc.
Probably just for fun, we can formulate what Dr. Stephen's sales strategies if he really has them.
Let's start with...
- Be In Control (Be Proactive)
You are way better off than Covey's Victor Frankl Case study in Nazi Camp. Being hunted down for sales quota from your supervisor is not as bad as being detained in a death camp, right? That means you have ample time to exercise your imagination--especially during breakfast on the field with other sales colleagues. Rather than imagine your Boss being guillotine why not take the opportunity to guess about the things you can do to improve your current sales stats...
... You can easily do this, can't you? I mean what if there's something you can do right now to improve your sales result? Can you act on it? For starter, just imagine 3 things you can start immediately before you see your customers.
This exercise is simply to put you in control--lead instead of victimized.
- Begin With A Target In Mind
I see the same thing 'preached' in One Minute Sales Person. It is easier to know where you are going with your action and not blindly putting in your effort. You want to see the outcome from your work--if I do this how much could I get? If I did 3 seminars on 'Aggressive Cholesterol Lowering' how much Cholesterol-lowering drugs prescription I can expect?
Be careful though--the current sales ethic in the certain industry does not allow such activities which have the intention to directly induce or influence buying decision...
- Put First Thing First--Organize Your Priority
I admit that I have a hard time becoming good at this. I know it's essential to organize; I know which activity should become my priority, but I still do things that PLEASE me the most. It's a value conflict, and the value which has more emotional attachment invariably wins--no matter how urgent and vital the other benefit is...
... Which goes without saying that I need to 're-organized' and the simplest method to do that is to jot them down.
- Think Win-Win
If organizing is big enough load, thinking win-win is even bigger! I do find that in MOST cases, it's win-lose, and the best thing is we learn to live with losing eventually. Since there's no clear definition of winning in a business transaction, a 'not-too-bad' outcome is acceptable. That doesn't mean it's a win, but it's fair.
Think back to the time in a business transaction when you really feel like you have the upper hand--have you look at all angle? I'm pretty sure if you do, you'll notice that the other party will have more to gain but if in the end, we feel like the end result is not totally lost (or a good start probably) we proceed.
It's the feeling that matters... We're not dealing with the machine here, so that's why feeling and emotion is all important.
- Seek First to Understand Then To Be Understood
I adhere to this mindset the most. In my all-time favorite sales guide book; WOMBAT Selling by Michael-Hewitt Gleeson, he throws one interesting question to the reader: If something is of value, from whose point of view it is from--the Seller or the Customer?...
... And he surveyed the answer in his thesis. Guess what the answer is?
'Unsuccessful salespersons say from the company (i.e., seller point of view), and the Successful salespersons say it's their customers'! Now, if you are yet to be successful in sales, you have probably been drumming the 'same-o-same-o' message which your customers find in the brochure...
... And it means nothing to them--NOTHING!
In the immortal sales maxim word, "Don't sell them our seed--sell them their beautiful lawn!"
- Synergy Of Things Are Greater Than The Sum Of Every Part
We are not an island. Even if we think we work for ourselves, in the customers' point of view, we represent our company. That's why, when we want to go for short term gain think long term effect--what if you're no longer working for this particular company in the future but still see the same customers? How would they look at you?
'Conning' can take you to a certain extent but beyond that true colors show! Do you like what you'll see? If you don't then rest assured that your customers will hate it even more.
If in the same company you are representing other departments which involves with customers being served by another department from your company--make sure you send a congruent message across the board. What frequently happens is a department LOVES to 'bad-mouth' the other department just to make them look good.
In the end, the customers think lowly of the company--which include both departments! Too bad ey...
... That's an example of 'negative synergy' (almost 'parasite' I would add)...
Maybe this is what Steven Covey Sales Strategy will look like if they have one. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it...
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