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About Us
By John Aberle | Uncategorized
Have You Ever Felt Conflicted about Your Job in Sales?
I did. I loved working with customers: I enjoyed finding their problems and providing solutions for them. But I hated hearing about how one had to be a great “closer.” The sales books and seminars I attended indicated that you had to learn how to control your customer, manipulate his emotions (yes, men have emotions), and pressure them if all else fails. I felt sleazy with that approach. My value system said I needed to give the other person the space to make his or her own choices, free of my manipulation.
So I fumbled along on my own. Lacking a role model for the type of selling I found a path that worked for me. I borrowed from a variety of sales training books, courses, and seminars to take those things that felt “clean” to me. And admittedly, I worked for some companies where I had to learn their control techniques. Sometimes the need for financial survival made it easier to convince myself it’s all right. But even those experiences taught me a lot.
Selling as a Service
I’m happiest when I sell as a service. I love “helping customers buy.” Ironically, even though my approach avoided the “closer” mentality, I was consistently a sales leader, often the top sales rep in the company.
Increased Sales 40% While Reducing the Size of Sales Team 42.9%
The “Help Customers Buy” approach to selling works. For instance, at Cook/Data Solutions, a small computer dealership in McAllen, Texas, I finally achieved my goal of executive management. In my first full year as vice president of sales and marketing, I increased sales 40% over prior year figures while reducing the size of the sales team 42.9%.
In this small business, I was the top sales executive yet also actively sold to my own accounts. I closed over $850,000 that year, including a maintenance contract worth $1,000,000 plus in contract revenue over the next three years.
Whether Business-to-Business or Business-to-Consumer, It Works
While my experience was primarily business-to-business, the attitudes, techniques, and skills work in any sales environment, even in non-sales communications. The primary difference lies in some of the skills and techniques, like prospecting, that you won’t need in most retail or non-sales positions.
Useful Information Weekly
I look forward to sharing useful information weekly with you in this blog. Naturally, in this short space you won’t get everything on any one topic. That leaves material for another week or for my courses and books when I publish them. And if you really want more in-depth material right away, you may find my affiliates and other recommendations helpful.
What Do You Want to Hear More About?
The problem with “value-added” is that all value is in from the viewpoint of the customer or client. I want to give you valuable information, but until you tell me what would be valuable to you, it’s only my opinion. So, please let us know what do you want to hear more about and how you want it, i.e. blog posts, short articles, or podcasts.
And Give Us Feedback, Please
And give us feedback, please – sales and marketing are part science, part art. Everyone gets better with experience and practice. But after over 25 years in sales and marketing, I am daily looking for new insights, tips, and techniques.
