Squash the Subservient Mindset
Michael was behind on his sales quota for the year. Last year he was behind too, finishing at 87% of his plan and most of his peers and the company did better. He was especially jealous of the two reps in his region that were the leading performers of the entire company.
Michael was frustrated as he felt his sales skills and his work ethic didn’t match up with his results. He was consistently the first one in the office each day, was responsive to his boss at any hour and on the weekends, read books on the latest sales techniques, his CRM was regularly updated, and he seemed to have a solid relationships with his clients. But something was missing.
Maybe It’s Me
One day he was going back and forth with a prospective client who kept asking for another discount. Michael went to his boss, the VP of Sales, to discuss how to approach the situation, hoping his manager would just say yes to knocking another 10% off the price to get the deal done. Here's how that interaction went:
VP of Sales: "Why do they keep asking for a discount?"
Michael: "The client just says they don't have the budget."
VP of Sales: "What is their budget?"
Michael: "He won't tell me. He just says our pricing is too high, which is pretty consistent with what I hear from other clients."
VP of Sales: "What's the clients goal with this project?"
Michael: "They want to drive more qualified visitors to their website."
VP of Sales: "Do you think the solution you presented will do that?"
Michael: "It should. I think our Turbo product would be better, but it's just too expensive."
VP of Sales: "We just sold Turbo to two of their competitors and it's working. Did you discuss it?"
Michael: "No. The client told me he wanted a proposal for our Basic package, so that’s what I gave them."
VP of Sales: "Michael, how many clients and prospects do you talk to every day? Who are your main clients?"
Michael: "Probably 5 to 7 per day. General Motors, Fast Company Magazine, and Target are my top clients."
VP of Sales: "Our company sells to the biggest brands in the world. You personally work with some incredible clients, you talk with digital marketing leaders every single day to learn about their goals, their problems, and as a team we regularly review high performing case studies of other companies using our products."
Michael: "Yeah, we're a great company."
VP of Sales: "Then why don't you start acting like it? Michael - You're an expert in your field. You work with some of the top brands in the world on their most progressive marketing campaigns. Our company is growing and our clients are seeing great results. But that's not how you carry yourself - and it comes off in how you talk, how you write, and clients can feel that hesitation from you. This is part of the reason they keep asking you for a discount."
Michael: "Okay, so what do you think I should do?"
VP of Sales: "Tell the client we're not lowering the price any more. It's already a huge discount that I'm not happy about because it doesn’t align with the value we bring, which you can tell the client, and they're going to see tremendous results that are well beyond the small amount of budget that we're asking for."
Michael: "Yeah, I guess you're right. Okay, I'll drive that point home."
VP of Sales: "Michael, you're very talented. I know you are capable of more, but you're not carrying yourself like the expert that you are. I want to see more swagger in your step and your approach. Clients should be thanking you for spending time with them."
The Client Conversation
Michael nervously picked up the phone and delivered the message - no more discount, and confidence that this will be a high performing project. The client simply responded, "Okay, well thanks for going to bat for me. I'm under a lot of pressure to reduce my overall marketing budget, so I had to ask. I agree your solution will deliver great results so I'll just have to shave budgets in other places. Send over the contract and let's get started."
It worked, and it hit Michael like a ton of bricks. Over the last year or so, he'd become so hesitant and nervous about losing and not performing. Trying new sales techniques, and just giving his clients what they asked for as opposed to confidently telling them what they needed. It was time to make a switch. Michael felt invigorated.
Operating as an Equal
Far too often, sellers have a mindset that they're "less than" the client - I call it The Subservient Mindset. They put the client on a pedestal, because they're depending on the customer to do business with them. This “less than” mindset comes across in how the subservient seller carries themselves. How they talk. How they write.
Clients want to work with experts. People who bring real value to the conversation, who can share a perspective based on all the other clients they work with. They want to work with people they trust - which is more than just being honest and ethical. Clients want to work with someone who is a real advisor that’s looking out for the clients best interest. Which sometimes means having the confidence, the swagger, to tell a client that they should look at their problem in a different way.
Top performing sellers see themselves more as an equal. Sure, their client may have a fancier title or a bigger job that they respect and look up to. But when it comes to their area of expertise - they're just a business person working with another business person.
Here's some examples of what it feels like when you’re operating as more of an equal:
Quickly qualify or disqualify a sales opportunity, because you don't want to waste your own time, or the clients time, on an opportunity that just won't ever happen.
You read industry news and business journals to stay sharp on your business acumen.
Aren't afraid to talk about budget and approval timelines early in the sales process on to make sure you are in synch with the clients expectations.
When a client asks for a specific solution, you aren't afraid to say, "Okay, but can you step me back and tell me more about what you want to accomplish?"
You don't "check in" with emails and phone calls - every communication has a purpose.
You're comfortable encouraging clients to talk with competitors because you know you have a good product, and that the sales experience you’ll provide will be better than anyone else's.
You'll ask senior executives in your company to help close deals because you know it works. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness - it's a sign of strength for using all resources necessary to win.
You’re comfortable saying no to a deeper discount because you know your solution has value.
You prospect consistently, and with confidence, because you know you’re bringing value to anyone you talk to.
As you prepare for your next client conversation, stand tall and put those shoulders back. Remember that you’re an expert in your field and that you have a unique perspective with all the customers and prospects you talk to every single day. Because in order for others to have trust and confidence in you, you first need to have trust and confidence in yourself.