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