Southwestern Sales Talk

I had an interesting message forwarded to me from Paul Matthews, Founder of People Alchemy, Ltd.  It stresses the value of your reputation.  In sales, your reputation is vital.

The other day I overheard some people speaking about me. I was both surprised and grateful for what they had to say.

A few days later I spoke with some colleagues about someone we had just met, and we were deciding whether to do business with him. The outcome was that we will not be dealing with him in the future. This was much more because of our impression of him as a person rather than the offer on the table.

Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon stated “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
What impression do you leave by how you act, what you say, and what can be found online about you?

You really DO need to know who you are when you are not there.

You see, people don’t interact with you. They interact with their perception of you. They interact with what they see as your personal brand, even when you are right in front of them.

Think about what that means to you, and to them, and to your relationships. 

When you’re selling, your reputation is all-important, as word travels.  To that point, I recall most all of my selling days with Southwestern Advantage were positive interactions.  One frustrating day, however, a mom met me at the door with a variety of objections–I didn’t even have a chance to open my mouth…she blasted me.  And, foolishly, I made a smart remark back at her.

Her eyes flashed, and I knew as I turned around and headed to my car that I’d made a mistake I would pay for.  And sure enough, she got on the phone to her neighbors.  I didn’t even get to approach them.  They didn’t bother to come to the door.  All her friends in the immediate vicinity shunned me.  Her impression of me derailed potential customers.  My reputation preceded me.

How are you managing your reputation with customers?  Are you conducting yourself in a professional manner?  Are you treating people the way you’d like to be treated?  If you’ve noticed your prospects are treating you poorly, you may want to re-evaluate your attitude.  Are you doing the little things that make a big difference–like smiling, making good eye contact, and getting in a positive mental state before a call?

If you’re not, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.

I welcome your comments, input, suggestions, critique, and approbations.

 

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