Early in my career, I attended an industry function when someone said that they had:  'been selling their particular product for 20 years and theirs was different'.

Fast forward 10 years I moved to another industry only to have the same conversation:  'I have been selling XYZ for 25 years and nothing else is like it.'

Another 10 years later different product, same conversation -mmm … interesting.

These days I spend a great deal of time speaking to a range of companies across a variety of industries, most think their product is special or different. As sales people, we all think that our product and industry is unique, when actually, it's not.
 
The reality is that all products in the same arena have a few nuances but most are the same, especially when it comes to getting people to buy your product.

In a country such as ours where the cost of living is high, it becomes extremely difficult for an organisation to compete on price.  And quite frankly, no one wins that race to the bottom (though many still try).

The smarter businesses are differentiating through solution and relationship selling.  And it needs to be a blend.

Technical sales people, although great at matching need to issue but cannot always manage the relationship.  Relationship focused sales people may be great at the people side but don’t always match the need due to reduced technical knowledge.

So whats the solution?

We need to connect the dots between individual motivations, collective skill sets and commercial realities.

The best path for a person is the slow and steady method of professional and personal development:  we need equal parts technical training, soft skills workshops, practice by doing, learning from mistakes, learning from the team and individual growth.  This approach is far more effective than drinking from a fire hose at some half day gee up session

As Tony Robbins says:
“Most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year but underestimate what they can achieve in a decade”.

It begins, like all innovation, with the insights and awareness of an opportunity to improve something.

I don’t know who first said this but there is no truer saying than the above.  You get what you pay for.  We have all been burnt by paying too little, but no one wants to pay too much.

Marketing, advertising and psychology combine to send us into apoplexy with 'Discounts' and 'Limited Time Only' deals.

Early in my career I had trouble rationalising how my Managing Director would have his people and himself squeeze every last drop out of a supplier, yet on the other hand push his sales team to charge 10 – 20% more in the marketplace.

My now 50 year old brain can reflect that sales people have the ability to say 'No' - if they are confident in the product or service they sell and more importantly within themselves.

They will win business because they CHOOSE to stand in their power.

This is the 'Game' and salespeople could do well by learning the rules: their companies, results and most of all self-esteem will benefit.

I bought a second-hand Volvo 20 years ago, every fibre of my body screamed at me not to buy it … except my wife. With smoke, mirrors and a trade-in I secured a cracking deal. Two years later after a new engine, air conditioning and gearbox, we sold it for a tiny fraction of the cost.  Yep, it still hurts.

A couple of years ago my (still) wife and I went car shopping again. We had been up and down the highway for three weeks looking for a sales person we liked and trusted and came across Jeremy.  He had the perfect car - a Mazda with $17990 painted across the windscreen.  My wife gave me to the look to buy it.

I tried to negotiate and pulled out all my skills.  I eventually paid, yep, the full price.

What I loved about the experience is that Jeremy read us both, treated us with complete respect and didn’t once make us feel ripped off nor did he carry on like a smartarse.

Last week I went back to see Jeremy, I hadn’t seen him for over a year and without blinking he said “g’day Charlie, how is Trudy and the Mazda” – boom!!!  

There’s many lessons in this, one of the most important is to be aware of what is going on around you, stand in your power, enjoy it and reap the rewards.