In Sales, Treat Others The Way They Want To Be Treated!

With the flow of data permanently set to deluge, we live in the world of abundant information but scarce attention. Sensory overload makes a constant struggle for sales professionals to stand out to their prospects with so many others battling for their limited attention. The answer, my fellow professionals, is to follow the Platinum Rule.

We all know the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you”. The Golden Rule has withstood the test of time and deserves our reverence but in sales, the Platinum Rule is a more practical maxim,“Treat others the way they want to be treated”. As Dr. Tony Alessandra, co-author of The Platinum Rule for Sales Mastery, put it, the focus of the relationship should shift from “This is what I need, so I’ll give everyone else the same thing” to “let me first understand what they want and then I’ll give it to them.”

What does that mean to behave according to our new rule specifically in the field of sales? It means sell to them what, how, where and when they want to buy.

What

As Confucius said, “The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell.” Being a superior sales person requires going beyond recognizing your prospect’s needs. It also involves 1) Considering whether you offering will truly help the prospects move toward achieving their goals or solving problems and 2) Collaborating with your prospects to tailor a custom solution to their needs.

How, Where & When

Remember the time when you “hit if off with a customer” and closed that account in record time? That silver lining moment could happen when your selling style is naturally in sync with your prospects’ style. Synchronizing your selling style need not be a rare occurrence. To give yourself the best chance of achieving it, you should:

• Sell at the same pace that your prospects like buying: Some prospects require longer time to make the decision, some will make the decision on the spot.
• Give them the content that they would need and would want to see: It could be be ROI analysis, customer reference calls, or a free trial of the product.

Most of the time, your prospects will reveal their style directly when they tell you or you have to pick up on it indirectly. The key is to pull out your listening cap and pay attention to the cues throughout the sales process. For example, if your prospect asks more factual questions and is often in a hurry, get down to business immediately, give them options and offer analysis to help them make a decision. In other cases, when prospects like small talk and tend to stretch out the decision making process, then a more personal and slower approach would work better. These prospects often respond positively to testimonials and incentives to push them from decision-making purgatory.

The next time you are ready to tackle that challenging account, remember the Platinum Rule “Treat Others The Way They Want To Be Treated.”

Steve Benson

Co-founder | Badger Maps

[Image: Here]