Universal Principles For Selling Professionals
Considered a stranger
The buyer is quick to judge the seller.
From dress, to speech,
from handshake to eye contact
Credibility starts.
Considered an unknown
The buyer measures the company.
From experience, to brochures,
From references , to network
Credibility proceeds.
Considered a possible solution
The buyer vets the product.
From ease of use, to flexibility,
From meeting specs, to cost
Credibility is cemented.
Seller, company and product,
This is the path to credibility.
The nature of the world is beyond description
Yet stories are your greatest tools.
With the art of narrative,
the buyer identifies with your characters.
Compelling in action,
they see the struggle in their lives.
Clear in thought,
they embrace the moral of your story.
Obvious in solution,
they are drawn to your products and services.
By shedding light
on what was once nothing,
The Master Seller becomes storyteller,
Creating possibility in the buyers’ mind.
Nothing in the world
is as weak as water.
Yet for dissolving granite mountains
nothing can surpass it.
The soft overcomes the hard;
the easy overcomes the difficult.
Everyone knows this is true,
but few can put it into practice.
Therefore the Master Seller
Remains cool under fire.
Prepared they are ready for all objections.
Because they have stopped avoiding work
their work gets done.
See the world as it is
Focus on the hard
until the hard becomes easy.
Like a flashlight in the dark
The Master Seller sheds light on solutions
When muddled and confused
They ask the buyer
What would you do
If you had more time?
What would you do
If it was easier to do your job?
What would you do
With the money this solution would save?
By asking, the buyer reflects,
With reflection, comes understanding
With understanding, a decision
And the decison to purchase.
By asking you receive.
By questioning, you are answered.
See strangers as yourself.
Trust they will treat you as you would be treated.
Knock on the door
Pick up the phone
Seek rejection, and leads that come as consequence.
The Master Seller revels in meeting strangers,
The opportunities it may bring.
When a deal is in harmony
It advances with ease and grace.
When a deal goes sideways
There is confusion and doubt.
The changing of the guard,
A block on funding
Or stakeholder grudge can create the Great Illusion called fear.
Like a filled cup,
You must empty your thoughts before refilling it.
Allowing for possibility not yet revealed.
People often fail at the verge of success,
Give as much care to the end, as to the beginning.
The Tao Te Ching of Sales 