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In 1983 my fledgling company was among several that were trying to market a sales training program to one of America's largest sales organizations. Back then, The Brooks Group consisted solely of a part-time secretary and me, though I was closely counseled by my mentor who had tutored me about how to conduct my business. The large, mega prospect had expressed the desire for a complete new sales program to guide each of its 27,000 sales representatives in the United States. In short, it was an enormous undertaking, and to me the contract represented the very foundation of The Brooks Group. With my mentor's guidance, I worked for nearly three years on selling that training program. During that time we built terrific frequent flier mileage accounts, placed hundreds of long-distance phone calls, and wrote countless letters. Each step of the way, we tried to keep our focus clearly on what the client's real agenda was. We had to - that was the very concept we were selling to them! My company did well in the competition for the contract. We took the lead and soon stood at the top of the crowd. It appeared that we were actually going to win the contract and my dream was going to come true: teaching my mentor's customer-focused, needs-based selling system to thousands of salespeople. At that point, something happened: I found it extremely difficult to get my mind off those dollar signs. They were going to pay the contract on a 'per-head' basis! Can you imagine how much money that totaled? It was more than I had ever dreamed. We were going to be very well paid. Predictably, we began to encounter snags with the contract. During the negotiations, I fortunately realized that my focus had shifted from their needs to my own revenues, and I understood the danger such focus represented in nailing down the contract. Recognizing how my focus had shifted, I refocused on the needs that they had. I made more visits and phone calls and got things back on track. Intermittently, my lack of experience and discipline allowed my focus to drift. I began, once again, to think about the new car I might soon be able to buy, the new house I could plan, and the better life I could provide for my family. It was during this period that I began to understand precisely why my focus kept shifting and I was able to learn the discipline to redirect my focus. I fixed my focus once again on the needs of the prospect and kept it there until we won the contract. Throughout that entire consulting assignment, the only time that the proposal went smoothly was when I focused on their needs instead of my own. Like most things in life of any value, the assignment went badly every time I focused on myself. Paradoxically, the more you need the money, the more diligently you must focus on your customer. Customer focus is not a fad; it is the only certain formula for success in the sales. And that is true no matter what it is that you sell. The product or service makes no difference whatsoever. Today's crowded marketplaces truly demand it. Your customers' needs will never include making you rich or raising the value of your company's stock. Ironically, we have found that nearly every sales person we meet already knows at least the basic needs that their products or services can fulfill. Yet few of them truly understand that using that knowledge is the best way to sell their company's products or services.
Clearly, I had a much greater impact on the client when I focused on their needs. Much of what I learned in winning and servicing that contract has helped me to develop my Impact Selling plan, which is based on customer-needs focus. Since that time we have taught the process to tens of thousands of salespeople around the globe. The faces may change, but the process doesn't vary. The philosophy is rock solid, proven successful and it works. I urge you to sustain your focus on the customer, too - and you will be amply rewarded. |
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