I'll get to it, but first bear with me...

Last week, I was driving into Boston to lead our fall Sales Leadership Intensive.  I was listening to the personalities on the Boston sports radio station discuss the client appreciation event that they attended the prior evening.  Coincidentally, several of their sales managers were supposed to attend our sales leadership event and were unable to be with us because they were required to be at the client appreciation event.

On the radio show, the host asked his co-host who he thought was the drunkest person at the party.  After reaching agreement on that, they made this memorable (for me) comment.  I have the comment in quotes but I might have a word or two wrong. I think I captured the gist of it though.

"Our salespeople are true professionals.  They are really good at these events.  The late nights, heavy drinking, schmoozing...  They do it practically every night, so they're used to it."

To me, the concept that salespeople entertain their clients in that fashion sounded very 70's.

Does this describe what you and your salespeople do today? 

Do your salespeople do this at trade shows?

Is this one of the stereotypes that people have when it comes to salespeople?

Do your customers, clients and prospects expect this kind of treatment?

In my opinion, this behavior is the complete opposite of how salespeople should behave, deals should get done and clients should be appreciated.  

Speaking of opposites, while reading this book (no comments about the kind of books I read - please stick to the topic), I came across the Law of Opposites which basically explains (not directly) what happens to salespeople.  The Law of Opposites suggests that when you want something, an opposing force, or opposite, will manifest itself.  We are supposed to persist, find a way, and overcome this resistance with our talents.  The most interesting aspect of this law is that opposites ONLY manfiest when we are doing what we are supposed to be doing.  So, if you or your salespeople are selling, and there isn't any resistance, you're doing something wrong!!

What do you think?

(If you receive this by email or RSS, please click the article title so that you can tell us what you think about this.)

SoldLab published this article of mine on their site last week.  This is a perfect time of year to review it as you plan for 2014.  And make sure you read how less is more, more is less, more is more, lower is higher, fewer is greater, bigger is smaller and harder is easier.

If you have heard me speak or you have completed a profile of your ideal sales hire than you know I believe that your products or services fit into one of four categories of resistance:

1. Your prospects need it and want it - like food - you have a lot of competition.
2. Your prospects want it but don't believe they need it - like a luxury car - still lots of competition. 
3. Your prospects need it but don't want it - like personal lines insurance - lots of competition.
4. Your prospects don't believe they need it or want it - like high-end consulting - much less or no competition at all.  Not that there aren't others in your space, but your prospects are probably not speaking with the others in your space.

Companies don't invest enough time and energy being strategic and tactical about competition.  The approach shouldn't be economic as much as it should be tactical.  Your approach should revolve around neutralizing your competition as opposed to being competitive with your competition.

For most companies, it's a foregone conclusion that your prospects will buy and the only question is from whom they will buy. But what if you are in group 4?   What if the question is not about from whom but IF they will buy?  What if your biggest competition isn't from another company in your space but it's from prospects that don't think they need what you have?  What if your prospects think that they can do it themselves? Do it in-house?  What if they simply don't want your help? What if your biggest threat is their sense of being able to do without?  That's a totally different strategy than one where you must outsell your competition.  The problem is that most of the group 4 companies use the "why you should buy from us" strategy when they should be using the "why buy at all" strategy.

If you're in group 4, you need salespeople that can create a need for what you have as opposed to salespeople who have mastered the ability to present capabilities and make presentations that focus on why you.

So what if you're a company in groups 1-3 and you have competition and instead of perpetuating the "why buy from us" strategy you adopted the "why buy" strategy from group 3?  If you did that you would suddenly be doing two things your competitors aren't doing.

1. you'd be creating a greater need for what you sell, which leads to the urgency that causes prospects to pull the trigger;
2.  you would be differentiating yourself from all of your competitors.

(c) Copyright 2008 Dave Kurlan