Salespeople: Position Yourself With Power

His eyes were narrow and bloodshot from stayingeach of the issues listed below, and compare
out late and partying too heavily the previousyourself to your competitors. How do you stand
night. A two-day old stubble framed his face. Heon...* your appearance* your product knowledge*
was wearing a dark colored tee shirt, which heyour understanding of company policies and
hadn't tucked in, a pair of jeans, and scuffedprocedures* your competence with basic sales
loafers which had probably never seen shoe polish.skills* your understanding of the customer* your
It was the second day of my Sales Academybearing and demeanor.If you find that your rank
seminar, and this participant in the program wasbelow your competitors on any of these issues,
complaining to the group that his customers werethen you need to spiff them up so that you are
only interested in low price.I didn't say this,thought of, at least, as a Taurus. Then, you can
because I didn't want to embarrass him in frontbegin to move toward the Lamborghini position.2.
of the group, but I thought it none the less: "DoStart on the inside.In my book, 10 Secrets of
you think your appearance and demeanor haveTime Management for Salespeople, I propose that
anything to do with your customers' reaction? Doyou "get grounded." That advice is based on the
you think that you may give them the idea thatobservation that it is difficult to sustain a false
you are the lowest rung on the pricing scale? Is itposition. It is all a whole lot easier if you portray
possible that you have inadvertently positionedyourself to be who you are. Integrity, meaning
yourself as the Wal-Mart of the industry?"Iconsistency between who you are and who you
remember, as a child, having a salesperson call onpresent yourself to be, is a foundation to a
my family. He had an appointment to discuss apositive position.In order to do that, you must
correspondence course for one of us. He drove aclearly understand who you are. That means that
big Lincoln, dressed richly, spoke articulately, andyou crystallize, in a written document, these three
carried himself with confidence. It wasn't aissues:* Your purpose. This really speaks to your
coincidence that we bought his program withoutspiritual orientation. Why are you here? What is
quibbling about the price.These two scenariosyour purpose in life and in this job? Why are you
illustrate a powerful and frequently overlookeddoing this anyway?* Your vision. What would you
best practice in the world of sales: Whether youlike to become? What do you see as possible and
intend to or not, you always create a position inideal in your job, your career, and in your life?*
the minds of your customers, and that positionYour values. What are the highest priority items in
influences the customer's attitudes toward you asyour life and in your job? What are the people,
well as the buying decisions that follow.In otherideas, behaviors and qualities of character that are
words, if you look like you're the low price, yourmost important to you?Once you have thought
customers will expect you to be the low price.Itdeeply about these internal issues, you'll find it
follows, then, that if we are going to be anmuch easier to live them. The process of
effective, professional salesperson, we ought toarticulating them and putting them on paper keeps
give thoughtful consideration to how we positionyou focused and attentive to the deeper issues.3.
ourselves in the minds of our customers.Let'sDo a sober assessment of your strengths.If you
begin by understanding the idea of positioning aare going to position yourself in the eyes of the
little deeper. Positioning has long been a termcustomer as having some combination of
bandied about by advertising mavens anduniqueness, you first have to identify what those
marketing gurus. They define it as the place thatunique strengths are. What are your personal
your brand or product has carved out in the mindunique attributes, experiences, and passions as it
of the customer. It's the pictures that enter therelates this job? Do you have some special
customers' mind when they think of your product,experience? Do you have some unique
the feelings that your product evokes, thecapabilities? Do you have some unique
attitudes they associate with you, and therelationships? Do you have some unusual
thoughts that they have of you.Chances are, forcharacteristics? Identify those strengths on a
example, that the words "Volkswagen Beetle"piece of paper, and then add a line or two on
evoke a set of responses from you that arehow each of those can bring value to the
different than "Chevrolet Corvette." You expect acustomer.At this point, you will have done the
certain degree of quality, price and service whennecessary homework to make the job of building
you enter a Wal-Mart that is not the same asa unique position much easier. You now know who
your expectations upon stepping inside a Saksyou are and what strengths you can bring to
Fifth Avenue store.Billions of dollars are spentyour customers. Now comes the fun.4. Continually
every year on carefully crafted impressions byseek opportunities to convey your brand.Act in a
businesses anxious to carve out a valuableway that is consistent with your statements of
position in the minds of their customers.Alas, ifstrengths. For example, if you say that you are
only the same thing could be said of manygood with high tech, don't take notes on a
salespeople.Just like the carefully designedscratch pad. Put them into a PDA. If you say you
impressions by advertising mediums inexorablyare personally attractive, don't forget to shave
chisel a spot into our psyches, so do the repeatedbefore you make a sales call. Be consistent - act
visits by a salesperson embed a set oflike the person you claim to be.Find ways to utilize
expectations, pictures and emotions into theyour strengths and emphasize your uniqueness. In
minds of our customers. The position you, as aone of my sales positions, for example,
salesperson, occupy is a complex intertwining ofrecognizing that I had some unique talents in
the perception of your company, your solutions,speaking to groups, I consistently found ways to
and yourself. The most effective salespeople andorganize seminars and workshops for my
sales organizations understand that, andcustomers in which I presented to the group. I
consciously work to create a positive position incould have made individual sales calls to six
the minds of their customers.Creating yourcustomers, but I found that when I brought all six
positionLet's begin at the end. A good startingtogether in a group, I was more effective. It was
point is to think deeply and with some detail aboutjust me utilizing my strengths.Be creative. One of
what sort of position you want to create. What,my strengths happened to be my wife, who is a
exactly, do you want your customers to think ofgourmet cook, and extremely good with anything
you? Let me suggest two possibilities: thethat even looks like food. We collaborated, and as
minimum acceptable position, and the idealChristmas gifts for my customers, she would
position.At a minimum, I believe your customermake dozens of varieties of homemade cookies
should view you as a competent, trustworthyand candies, and I'd pack them uniquely for each
person who brings value to the customer. Theycustomer. Within a year or two, everyone looked
believe that you generally know your productsforward to my arriving with our annual Christmas
and their strengths and weaknesses, that youpresent.Develop a reputation by intention. Decide
generally know the customer's issues, and thatwhat you want to be known for, and then work
you can be reliably counted on to do what youto consistently make that happen. One
say you will do. That's the least acceptablesalesperson makes sure, for example, that he
position to which you should work towards. Ifdoesn't call on a customer unless he has
your customers don't think of you at least in thissomething to share with that customer which he
way, you probably should not be in sales.At thebelieves that customer will find valuable. As a
other end of the spectrum is the ideal position.result, he has no problem getting time with his
This builds on the minimum, but adds a specificcustomers. He's developed the reputation of
understanding on the part of the customer ofalways bringing something of value.If you want to
your unique combination of strengths andbe known as the most responsive salesperson,
attributes. It evolves as you have history withset up a system that allows you to respond to
the customer until you occupy a position that isevery phone call within an hour or two. If you
totally and uniquely yours and that carries with itwant to be known as the fountain of product
the expectation that your strengths in someknowledge, make sure that you study every
specific and unique way add value to the time theprice list and piece of literature on every product
customer spends with you. The ultimate test ofyou sell. If you want to be known as the specialist
the power of your position is the customer'sin some application, make sure that you know it
willingness to see you and the resulting preferenceinside and out.Consider everything that you do.
for doing business with you.Here's an illustration. IfQuestion every single aspect of your interaction
you were shopping for an automobile, awith the customer, and gradually shape every
low-mileage late model Taurus would probablything to match the position you want to gain. If
provide you with competent, reliableyou want your customer to think of you as
transportation. So, when you think of that specificconfident and competent, don't drive a dirty 10
automobile, it would evoke a set of ideas in youryear old car. If you want your customer to think
mind all revolving around competent and reliableof you as worth an extra couple percentage
transportation. Now, think of a brand newpoints in price, then don't come in wearing
Lamborghini and you would understand it to bewrinkled Dockers and a dirty tee shirt. If you
transportation, but with a unique flair - somethingwant to be known as intelligent and articulate,
above and beyond just reliable transportation.don't use slang.Your position in the minds of the
That flair would be a result of the uniquecustomer is a powerful and subtle component of
strengths of that particular automobile conveyedan effective salesperson's approach. Consistently
in a graphic way to your mind.So it is withworking at building a positive position will pay
salespeople. You want to position yourself in yourdividends for years.About Dave Kahle, The
customer's mind the equivalent of the Taurus. ButGrowth Coach(R):Dave Kahle is a consultant and
if you really want to carve out a unique,trainer who helps his clients increase their sales
memorable position in your customer's mind, you'dand improve their sales productivity. Dave has
want them to think of you as a Lamborghini.Thetrained thousands of salespeople to be more
question then is, how do you want yoursuccessful in the Information Age economy. He's
customers to think of you? Once you articulate athe author of over 500 articles and five books.
specific picture, you can then start to build thatHis latest is 10 Secrets of Time Management for
position. Here are four essential steps to help youSalespeople. His "Thinking About Sales" Ezine
convey a positive position to your customers.1.features content-filled motivating articles, practical
Soberly assess yourself.What sort of position aretips for immediate improvements, useful
you currently occupying in the customer's mind?resources and helpful tips to help increase sales.
Be as objective as possible as you think through