Today we start a multi-blog look at our Authentic Selling model. We’ll begin to break it down and individually discuss all nine characteristics of selling authentically. Here are the components of the Authentic Selling strategy:
Advisor
Undisputed Results
Trust
Helpful
Empathetic
Natural
Thought Leader
Integrity
Collaborative Effort
Let’s begin with A—Advisor. That’s what today’s buyers want in a professional salesperson (whether they know it or not).
Once upon a time, the salesperson’s job was to present their product and/or service to the buyer and persuade them to buy it. It didn’t matter if that product was a commodity or a complex solution, you discussed the features and benefits of what you were selling, and you helped the buyer determine that your offering was right for them.
In a consultative sales situation, you asked all types of discovery questions and hoped that the answers would point to your product or service. The best outcome—for you—would have the conversation match up with what you were offering.
The questioning phase was not a diagnostic to determine the right thing for the buyer; instead, it was a way to direct the buyer back to your offering.
That kind of ultimately selfish approach is out—O.U.T. out! What we are suggesting in our Authentic Selling model is that the salesperson becomes an advisor to the client.
In an advisory relationship, you are relying on someone to give you an independent and honest opinion of how to proceed—this opinion is based on the advisor’s expertise, experience, and real understanding of your problem or goal.
Fill that need for the buyer! Be all in. Be an advisor, and you’ll understand their business like no one else—and you’ll stand out from the crowd as a result.
When you approach the buyer as an advisor, you are changing your thinking from, “What’s in it for me?” to “What should they do?” You are thinking in terms of, “What’s the right thing to do here?”
I’ll compare these various approaches to an orthopedic surgeon assessing an athlete’s injury. If the surgeon thinks only of himself, then every injury to every knee will lead to the operating table because that’s where the big bucks are for the doctor. There is very little financial incentive to say that the patient simply has a sprained or stressed knee.
It sounds absurd, of course, because I’m exaggerating. Yet, many salespeople in the past sold without much regard for the buyer, without caring whether or not their offering was in the best interests of the client. Sealing the deal was what mattered.
Today’s successful salesperson goes into a sales situation with an advisor’s attitude. Their job is to understand the customer’s needs, problems and goals and determine if what they are selling is indeed a good fit for the buyer. If yes, the advisory salesperson proceeds. If not, they tell ‘em: “No, what I’m selling is not really what you need.” If you want to earn long-term trust, gain credibility and show that you have the buyer’s best interests in mind—then saying “no” can be the most powerful recommendation you’ve ever given! Be honest, and then, when you later tell them, “Yes, I have exactly what you need,” you’ll have a trusting, open-minded, engaged and receptive buyer.
It’s called being an advisor. It’s also called being authentic.