Every brand of product or service owns a little piece of real estate in the customer’s mind. Every company has an image to uphold with its customers.
And every salesperson stands out in some fashion–either in excellence or in mediocrity.
Imagine the customer’s dilemma of choosing
a product or service from a company because the customer prefers the brand and likes the company that provides it, but the customer views the salesperson as a commodity-type seller. The buyer perceives no real value in buying anything from this salesperson; that the salesperson is part of the cost but not part of the value.
Are you working as hard on your personal brand as your company works on its products brand? Most companies invest heavily in brands, attempting to create a superior image in the marketplace. They want to stand out from the crowd. When your company hires you, you become an extension of the product brand and the company’s image. When you wear a logo shirt, carry a logo briefcase, or distribute logo literature, you become part of the package.
Your company takes a risk in giving you the privilege of wearing this moniker.
How proudly do you wear this logo? How well do you represent your company?
How strong a salesperson are you? Is your personal brand as strong as your product’s brand? Is your personal image as powerful as your company’s image?
Wear your brand with pride. Be true to your brand.
Be an order maker, not an order taker
Are you an order taker or an order maker? It depends on whether you are more reactive or proactive in your sales approach.
Proactive salespeople create opportunities; reactive salespeople wait for customers to offer opportunities.
Proactive salespeople anticipate and act in advance; reactive salespeople wait and see.
Proactive salespeople are selective in the business they pursue; reactive salespeople must take whatever comes their way.
Proactive salespeople run their territories; reactive salespeople let their territories run them.
Proactive salespeople take new ideas to customers; reactive salespeople wait for customers to ask for new ideas.
Proactive salespeople preempt price objections with value added; reactive salespeople wait for price to become an issue.
Proactive salespeople study on their own; reactive salespeople wait for their companies to sign them up for training.
Proactive salespeople invest in the tools of their trade that will help them succeed; reactive salespeople wait for their companies to supply these tools for them.
If you want to become an order maker, you must become more proactive in your sales approach. Being proactive means doing all those things that will make you successful without your boss telling you to do them. Value Added salespeople make it a habit to do those things others consider.
Tom Reilly is a professional speaker and author. You can reach Tom through his Web site: www.TomReillyTraining.com.
