| His eyes were narrow and bloodshot from | | | | Be as objective as possible as you think |
| staying out late and partying too heavily the | | | | through each of the issues listed below, and |
| previous night. A two-day old stubble framed | | | | compare yourself to your competitors. How do |
| his face. He was wearing a dark colored tee | | | | you stand on...* your appearance* your |
| shirt, which he hadn't tucked in, a pair of | | | | product knowledge* your understanding of |
| jeans, and scuffed loafers which had probably | | | | company policies and procedures* your |
| never seen shoe polish. It was the second day | | | | competence with basic sales skills* your |
| of my Sales Academy seminar, and this | | | | understanding of the customer* your bearing |
| participant in the program was complaining to | | | | and demeanor.If you find that your rank below |
| the group that his customers were only | | | | your competitors on any of these issues, then |
| interested in low price.I didn't say this, | | | | you need to spiff them up so that you are |
| because I didn't want to embarrass him in | | | | thought of, at least, as a Taurus. Then, you |
| front of the group, but I thought it none the | | | | can begin to move toward the Lamborghini |
| less: "Do you think your appearance and | | | | position.2. Start on the inside.In my book, |
| demeanor have anything to do with your | | | | 10 Secrets of Time Management for |
| customers' reaction? Do you think that you | | | | Salespeople, I propose that you "get |
| may give them the idea that you are the | | | | grounded." That advice is based on the |
| lowest rung on the pricing scale? Is it | | | | observation that it is difficult to sustain a |
| possible that you have inadvertently | | | | false position. It is all a whole lot easier |
| positioned yourself as the Wal-Mart of the | | | | if you portray yourself to be who you are. |
| industry?"I remember, as a child, having a | | | | Integrity, meaning consistency between who |
| salesperson call on my family. He had an | | | | you are and who you present yourself to be, |
| appointment to discuss a correspondence | | | | is a foundation to a positive position.In |
| course for one of us. He drove a big Lincoln, | | | | order to do that, you must clearly understand |
| dressed richly, spoke articulately, and | | | | who you are. That means that you crystallize, |
| carried himself with confidence. It wasn't a | | | | in a written document, these three issues:* |
| coincidence that we bought his program | | | | Your purpose. This really speaks to your |
| without quibbling about the price.These two | | | | spiritual orientation. Why are you here? What |
| scenarios illustrate a powerful and | | | | is your purpose in life and in this job? Why |
| frequently overlooked best practice in the | | | | are you doing this anyway?* Your vision. What |
| world of sales: Whether you intend to or not, | | | | would you like to become? What do you see as |
| you always create a position in the minds of | | | | possible and ideal in your job, your career, |
| your customers, and that position influences | | | | and in your life?* Your values. What are the |
| the customer's attitudes toward you as well | | | | highest priority items in your life and in |
| as the buying decisions that follow.In other | | | | your job? What are the people, ideas, |
| words, if you look like you're the low price, | | | | behaviors and qualities of character that are |
| your customers will expect you to be the low | | | | most important to you?Once you have thought |
| price.It follows, then, that if we are going | | | | deeply about these internal issues, you'll |
| to be an effective, professional salesperson, | | | | find it much easier to live them. The process |
| we ought to give thoughtful consideration to | | | | of articulating them and putting them on |
| how we position ourselves in the minds of our | | | | paper keeps you focused and attentive to the |
| customers.Let's begin by understanding the | | | | deeper issues.3. Do a sober assessment of |
| idea of positioning a little deeper. | | | | your strengths.If you are going to position |
| Positioning has long been a term bandied | | | | yourself in the eyes of the customer as |
| about by advertising mavens and marketing | | | | having some combination of uniqueness, you |
| gurus. They define it as the place that your | | | | first have to identify what those unique |
| brand or product has carved out in the mind | | | | strengths are. What are your personal unique |
| of the customer. It's the pictures that enter | | | | attributes, experiences, and passions as it |
| the customers' mind when they think of your | | | | relates this job? Do you have some special |
| product, the feelings that your product | | | | experience? Do you have some unique |
| evokes, the attitudes they associate with | | | | capabilities? Do you have some unique |
| you, and the thoughts that they have of | | | | relationships? Do you have some unusual |
| you.Chances are, for example, that the words | | | | characteristics? Identify those strengths on |
| "Volkswagen Beetle" evoke a set of responses | | | | a piece of paper, and then add a line or two |
| from you that are different than "Chevrolet | | | | on how each of those can bring value to the |
| Corvette." You expect a certain degree of | | | | customer.At this point, you will have done |
| quality, price and service when you enter a | | | | the necessary homework to make the job of |
| Wal-Mart that is not the same as your | | | | building a unique position much easier. You |
| expectations upon stepping inside a Saks | | | | now know who you are and what strengths you |
| Fifth Avenue store.Billions of dollars are | | | | can bring to your customers. Now comes the |
| spent every year on carefully crafted | | | | fun.4. Continually seek opportunities to |
| impressions by businesses anxious to carve | | | | convey your brand.Act in a way that is |
| out a valuable position in the minds of their | | | | consistent with your statements of strengths. |
| customers.Alas, if only the same thing could | | | | For example, if you say that you are good |
| be said of many salespeople.Just like the | | | | with high tech, don't take notes on a scratch |
| carefully designed impressions by advertising | | | | pad. Put them into a PDA. If you say you are |
| mediums inexorably chisel a spot into our | | | | personally attractive, don't forget to shave |
| psyches, so do the repeated visits by a | | | | before you make a sales call. Be consistent - |
| salesperson embed a set of expectations, | | | | act like the person you claim to be.Find ways |
| pictures and emotions into the minds of our | | | | to utilize your strengths and emphasize your |
| customers. The position you, as a | | | | uniqueness. In one of my sales positions, for |
| salesperson, occupy is a complex intertwining | | | | example, recognizing that I had some unique |
| of the perception of your company, your | | | | talents in speaking to groups, I consistently |
| solutions, and yourself. The most effective | | | | found ways to organize seminars and workshops |
| salespeople and sales organizations | | | | for my customers in which I presented to the |
| understand that, and consciously work to | | | | group. I could have made individual sales |
| create a positive position in the minds of | | | | calls to six customers, but I found that when |
| their customers.Creating your positionLet's | | | | I brought all six together in a group, I was |
| begin at the end. A good starting point is to | | | | more effective. It was just me utilizing my |
| think deeply and with some detail about what | | | | strengths.Be creative. One of my strengths |
| sort of position you want to create. What, | | | | happened to be my wife, who is a gourmet |
| exactly, do you want your customers to think | | | | cook, and extremely good with anything that |
| of you? Let me suggest two possibilities: the | | | | even looks like food. We collaborated, and as |
| minimum acceptable position, and the ideal | | | | Christmas gifts for my customers, she would |
| position.At a minimum, I believe your | | | | make dozens of varieties of homemade cookies |
| customer should view you as a competent, | | | | and candies, and I'd pack them uniquely for |
| trustworthy person who brings value to the | | | | each customer. Within a year or two, everyone |
| customer. They believe that you generally | | | | looked forward to my arriving with our annual |
| know your products and their strengths and | | | | Christmas present.Develop a reputation by |
| weaknesses, that you generally know the | | | | intention. Decide what you want to be known |
| customer's issues, and that you can be | | | | for, and then work to consistently make that |
| reliably counted on to do what you say you | | | | happen. One salesperson makes sure, for |
| will do. That's the least acceptable position | | | | example, that he doesn't call on a customer |
| to which you should work towards. If your | | | | unless he has something to share with that |
| customers don't think of you at least in this | | | | customer which he believes that customer will |
| way, you probably should not be in sales.At | | | | find valuable. As a result, he has no problem |
| the other end of the spectrum is the ideal | | | | getting time with his customers. He's |
| position. This builds on the minimum, but | | | | developed the reputation of always bringing |
| adds a specific understanding on the part of | | | | something of value.If you want to be known as |
| the customer of your unique combination of | | | | the most responsive salesperson, set up a |
| strengths and attributes. It evolves as you | | | | system that allows you to respond to every |
| have history with the customer until you | | | | phone call within an hour or two. If you want |
| occupy a position that is totally and | | | | to be known as the fountain of product |
| uniquely yours and that carries with it the | | | | knowledge, make sure that you study every |
| expectation that your strengths in some | | | | price list and piece of literature on every |
| specific and unique way add value to the time | | | | product you sell. If you want to be known as |
| the customer spends with you. The ultimate | | | | the specialist in some application, make sure |
| test of the power of your position is the | | | | that you know it inside and out.Consider |
| customer's willingness to see you and the | | | | everything that you do. Question every single |
| resulting preference for doing business with | | | | aspect of your interaction with the customer, |
| you.Here's an illustration. If you were | | | | and gradually shape every thing to match the |
| shopping for an automobile, a low-mileage | | | | position you want to gain. If you want your |
| late model Taurus would probably provide you | | | | customer to think of you as confident and |
| with competent, reliable transportation. So, | | | | competent, don't drive a dirty 10 year old |
| when you think of that specific automobile, | | | | car. If you want your customer to think of |
| it would evoke a set of ideas in your mind | | | | you as worth an extra couple percentage |
| all revolving around competent and reliable | | | | points in price, then don't come in wearing |
| transportation. Now, think of a brand new | | | | wrinkled Dockers and a dirty tee shirt. If |
| Lamborghini and you would understand it to be | | | | you want to be known as intelligent and |
| transportation, but with a unique flair - | | | | articulate, don't use slang.Your position in |
| something above and beyond just reliable | | | | the minds of the customer is a powerful and |
| transportation. That flair would be a result | | | | subtle component of an effective |
| of the unique strengths of that particular | | | | salesperson's approach. Consistently working |
| automobile conveyed in a graphic way to your | | | | at building a positive position will pay |
| mind.So it is with salespeople. You want to | | | | dividends for years.About Dave Kahle, The |
| position yourself in your customer's mind the | | | | Growth Coach(R):Dave Kahle is a consultant |
| equivalent of the Taurus. But if you really | | | | and trainer who helps his clients increase |
| want to carve out a unique, memorable | | | | their sales and improve their sales |
| position in your customer's mind, you'd want | | | | productivity. Dave has trained thousands of |
| them to think of you as a Lamborghini.The | | | | salespeople to be more successful in the |
| question then is, how do you want your | | | | Information Age economy. He's the author of |
| customers to think of you? Once you | | | | over 500 articles and five books. His latest |
| articulate a specific picture, you can then | | | | is 10 Secrets of Time Management for |
| start to build that position. Here are four | | | | Salespeople. His "Thinking About Sales" Ezine |
| essential steps to help you convey a positive | | | | features content-filled motivating articles, |
| position to your customers.1. Soberly assess | | | | practical tips for immediate improvements, |
| yourself.What sort of position are you | | | | useful resources and helpful tips to help |
| currently occupying in the customer's mind? | | | | increase sales. |