Are you selling to the government or selling to a human being?
The answer is a human being who works for the government.
Connecting with each other on a more personal level is somewhat of a lost art that has been ramping back up during the COVID era. We are now isolated from physical contact and the desire to connect is more important than ever.
When a new sales person joins your company, they are taught how to explain the products or services you offer. This is important because it is necessary to explain the value your company can bring to a government entity. Have you ever heard the saying, “solve the pain”? Fixing a problem that someone knows, or might not know they have, is crucial to succeed in sales. Taking it a step further, humans also enjoy buying from people they like. In order to like someone, you have to get to KNOW someone, this is done by open communication, which can also make you vulnerable.
I’m not talking about chatting about the weather. This is a surface level question that wastes valuable time during discussions. If you know someone who lives in a climate with snow during the winter, Do they like to ski or snowboard or go tubing with the family? Maybe they prefer to go snowmobiling. Maybe they like to stay inside by a warm fireplace sipping hot cocoa. Maybe they dream about moving to Florida because they hate the cold weather. Knowing the answers to these questions is part of sales to connect on a deeper level but also understanding who the person is that you might be working with in the near future. Taking the time to ask follow-up questions, not only about business but also about what they like or dislike outside of work will form long lasting relationships.
You might be asking yourself how you get to know these details about a person. It starts by sharing some personal information about yourself! Tell a story about an experience you have had...funny, sad, or self-deprecating...opening up allows others to feel comfortable sharing their experiences. Worst case scenario is that your company is not a good fit for the agency, best case scenario is that you make a friend in the process, closing the deal. When there is a time and need for your offering, they will know who to call as you have now stood out from the crowd by showing a genuine interest.
If you do not like people or care about others, then sales might not be the profession for you. Selling is not all about the bottom line. Of course you have a job to do but have fun doing it with REAL conversations. Drop your company mask as an Account Executive and show a part of your soul.
This is what re-humanizing the sales process means to us, wanting to help folks be remembered for who they are as a person, not what they have to sell.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou
Learn more about “Humanizing the Sales Process” from the experts below:
Kevin Dorsey: Watch video
Sheri Levitin: Read article
Lilly Ferrick: Read article