Athletes Practice, Students Practice, Musicians Practice, Business Professionals Should Practice Strategic Selling Professionals Must Practice. If you tire of working so hard and not achieving, business performance perhaps now is the time to treat your profession like an athlete. Start thinking like an athlete so that you have the inside track for your profession. Here is a new seven-step formula to create your success.

Strategic account professionals lack a methodology to remain on track with clients. They like any professional need a global positioning system to comprehend the relationship, the pipeline, and the close. Similar to how an athlete practices to achieve success here is a method for strategic success.

P – Prepare Competitive Intelligence
Customers no longer desire focus on product they want to understand results. The only method to augment this issue is the creation of a client competitive intelligence program. Employ the use of investigative tools that promote the client’s organizational comprehension, industry knowledge and even competitive trends and pressures. A sincere understanding of client issues assists in promoting a brawny relationship.

R – Relationships.
The differentiation lies here. Clients today deserve and desire a trusting guided relationship with their account manager. Clients know more about the products and services you sell then you do. A new process is required, movement from product presentations to value. Clients need to understand the impact your offering has with their need and how quickly it assists.

A – Alliances
Strategic selling professionals require alliances. The network one builds provides useful insight into client account activity. The myriad of networks sellers use to remain visible, insightful and competitive provides client value.

C – Customer Loyalty
Eighty percent of most organizations believe they deliver exemplary customer service. Ironically, less then 20 percent do. According to research by consultancy Bain and Company, only 8 percent of companies really deliver on customer service. In fact, U.S. corporations lose half their customers every five years. Loyal customers become adjuncts to the marketing department. Make certain your organization invests in programs that promote customer loyalty. It makes strategic selling much easier.

T – Tools promoting value
There are too many barriers to selling. The best professionals learn to strategically view accounts as trusted partners to lessen impediments. Avatars return calls quickly, communicate account issues inter-departmentally, and decrease silos and bureaucracy. When clients obtain information wherever, whenever and however, their representatives are value results from service, expediency, and commitment.

I – Invest in Technology
Technology is about connectivity. We all feel overwhelmed by the largess of email and voice mail. However, technology provides the competitive advantage of maintaining customer connections. Preserve clients with proper communication. The best rule of thumb once or twice per month either telephonically or directly.

C – Competitive Differentiation
Differentiation stems from doing things the competition does not. However, you cannot design a strategic program if you do not understand the competitive field. Conduct homework to discern competitive characteristics. Develop useful methods designed around client need. Most importantly, focus on the result and the client outcome, NOT on your organizational outcome- that is client value.

E – Evaluation
Exemplars for strategic selling constantly evaluate programs. Great strategists employ a team of advisors that understands issues, refrains from tactics and asks great questions. Seek new answers to old issues and produce better outcomes.

Similar to an athlete seeking to gain a competitive advantage, you too must seek the inside track. Clients today are more discretionary. Ensure your success with proper relationships that enable competitive advantage, insight, and availability and watch your goals become reality.

© 2008. Drew J. Stevens. All rights reserved.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 27th, 2008 at 11:10 am and is filed under Sales Training, sales help, sales skills, sales techniques. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.