Bradley’s 4 Rules for Sales Success
1) Relationship Currency
The most valuable currency I trade in is RELATIONSHIP. To most, this is considered an “old school” way of thinking. We now live in a world where millions of options are at your fingertips via your mobile device, products have morphed into brands, and salespeople have turned into marketers.
The issue with approaching Sales through a marketer’s means is that you often lose the opportunity to build true, lasting relationship currency with your customer. Instead of focusing on the pricing of the product/services, your priority MUST be centered on interactions and trust-building with your customers.
Relationship Currency establishes the equity and trust between you + your customer that leads to long-term relationship. As a result, customers who you have established this rapport with will often: Call you first for a new opportunity, introduce to other key relationships that may be beneficial to your business, and most importantly, extend grace when there is a mistake made. Those are just a few of the invaluable examples of how crucial Relationship Currency is to a Salesperson.
2) Trade Shoes…Then Walk the Mile
Everyone answers to someone. This is something we must never forget as Salespeople. When you take the time to understand not just your customer’s office hierarchy but also your Customer’s CUSTOMER, you now have started the process of setting yourself apart from the competition.
I work for a company that distributes commercial flooring which means my direct customer is the Flooring Contractor. One thing that has given me a leg up from my competition is that I have taken the time to learn more about my customer’s customer, the General Contractor. Having sat down and listened to my Flooring Contractors, I have learned what is expected of them from the GC and how I as a Distributor can make them look like a Hero or a Zero.
Operating from the mindset of setting my customer up for success, I look for all opportunities to deliver on every possible measurable. For me that often means that my products are at price points that fit budget, material is readily available which won’t cause delays to projects, and deliveries are scheduled and arrive on time. 9 times out of 10 this also leads to me expanding my relationship network to include the General Contractor as a result of our work on the project.
Never underestimate the value of wearing your customer’s shoes! Understanding this allows you to think FOR your customer, anticipate problems, provide solutions, and see things through their eyes.
3) Time is Money
Your customer’s time is a luxury, you must ENHANCE it when they are gracious enough to share it with you….and by no means EVER waste it.
To reference Rule #2, if you are always thinking like/for your customer you know that when they give you their time they are expecting a return on investment. The more you enhance your customer’s experience, the more time they will give you. Your goal should be to be viewed as a Blue Chip Stock in your customer’s eyes. To them, you should be a known quantity where they always anticipate the highest level of service and return on their investment (their time) whenever you interact.
Whether it’s a simple e-mail for a stock check or an important meeting to discuss a project, your ability to provide information, assistance, and solutions in a timely manner is the service-level they deserve. When your customer sees your passion to service them and feel that it is genuine, not only will they sprint across burning coals to do business with you, they will keep your competitors at bay!
4) Tell the truth, always.
Let’s keep this simple….truth is an asset to a good salesperson because it builds trust. Lying never helps you, it just kicks the problem a little further down the road. You will never get to TRUST without TRUTH! Remember…your integrity cannot be taken away, only GIVEN away!
