As this is the last Drift of 2017, I want to use it to thank and appreciate the sellers in our industry; the women and men who put themselves on the line every day and who monetize all the great digital content and services that the other 99-plus percent of the world take for granted. I also want to send along a few gifts - sales ideas and insights I've shared with salespeople like you in workshops throughout the year.
Don't Tell Me What You Sell, Tell Me What You Solve. The era of the product describer armed with his dense PowerPoint and techie demo are over. You will succeed because you obsess over the client's business and marketing problems and start every note, every meeting, every sentence with them.
Presence is Power. We all live in a multi-screen world of perpetual distraction. Your customers and co-workers feel alienated, unheard and ignored. You will be amazed at how much your full, undivided attention and empathy can do. Once they feel truly seen and heard, most of your job is done.
People Always Buy the Same Thing. A Better Future. It's always been true. Don't tell me about your tech or content. Tell me how my life will be different when we are working together. And then work hard to live the promises you make.
Action Forms Around a Point of View. Many sellers are afraid to take a position, to commit, to adopt and defend an opinion in the presence of the customer. So they wait and see what the customer thinks and then change their own colors to fit the moment. In doing so they leave their most powerful tool on the shelf. Your informed point of view is fuel to the client relationship. Bring it.
You Get Delegated to the People You Sound Like. In our comfort zones we all speak the local language of tech and media arithmetic. And we rarely realize that senior customers don't speak those tongues at all. So they send us to the people who might understand what we're saying. Commoditization ensues.
Do the Math. Then Show Your Work. When we estimate the actual size and cost of our customer's marketing and business problems, something magic happens. Don't tell me you can help me be more efficient: tell me how much money you think I'm losing every month I don't work with you to fix my problem. I'm not going to ding you if your math is off. Show me your work and I'll help you adjust your numbers. I'll also appreciate your vision and lean into our relationship.
#deserveit. Nothing more needs to be said.
Live and Work in the Present. The past is all nostalgia and regret. The future is all hope and anxiety. None of it does you any good. The best sellers - the best people - are the ones who stay focused on what's right in front of them. If you get sideways or lose your bearings, sit down and make a list of what you'll accomplish in the next few hours. Win today. Be happy today. Do it often enough and you will build a truly great life.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a wonderful 2018 to all of you. We never stop thinking about you and send you our very best wishes for health, hope and happiness.
