What are your odds of winning new business if you cold call, interrupt or spam people? People that are truly wanting to do business with you will tune you out based on that misaligned approach alone. You are out of phase with them regardless of the value you may offer. Going for the close skips the entire process buyers naturally engage when they desire a solution. It is selling naked.
Dating your customer before asking them to marry you is a lot more sensible. Most people avoid the better way of building a connection because it is hard work, takes thinking and costs something. Looking for something for nothing is a losing, desperate approach to selling.
Today, it is of utmost importance to avoid selling naked and to ensure you have a platform for selling. A platform precedes your selling process and sets you up for success.
Platforms Position You
In the old days, you had to spend a lot of money to build a platform. Getting on TV, radio or in the news was one way, though difficult and costly. Everything had to move through a distribution channel pre-established by other gatekeepers.
Today, the challenge is less about access and much more about paying a different price. The pieces have to be put together in a cohesive system that brings continuous and relevant value to your customers. Your message has to rise above the noise of the marketplace and connect personally.
A platform is a vital part of your buying process which sets up your selling process. Instead of having an approach which has a high probability of failure, your platform precedes you and positions you in the mind of the buyer. The selling should happen as part of a continuum rather than a disruptive event.
Putting clothes on your selling process means building the right processes and systems that augment how the buyer experiences your eventual sales conversation.
What would a more strategic approach to your selling mean for your business?
