Success in the World of Sales by Bill Hawkins
Three years ago we introduced the book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There. The focus was on leaders and leadership. And the theme was that the skills, the approach, and the behaviors that make us successful early in our career can actually get in the way later on. In fact, we identified 20 specific habits that can become a problem. The book was a runaway winner. It was a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller. And this year we took that same approach with a focus on salespeople.
You see, the game is changing. The economy, customers, and organizations are impacted. Customers are more demanding than ever, and organizations are looking for ways to reduce costs. So how have most organizations responded? Cut back. Have customers pay for services that were once free. Think of retail now; you check yourself out. Or airlines; you check yourself in. Do you want a meal? Do you want to check your bags? That will be extra. These days, when you call a bank, a credit card, or rental car company, you’re likely to get an automated message that says, “For your convenience, we have automated your input information.” The idea is that if we remove the human element of unpredictability from customer interaction, and maybe save some money, everybody will be happy.
What’s wrong with this picture? 90% of satisfying experiences, as reported by customers, are a result of the person with whom they interacted. Let me say that again. 90% of customer satisfaction is driven by the human interface. The human interface still matters. We call it the millennial challenge. Like it or not, the role of the sales professional today is to bridge rising customer expectations and organizational realities. See, as trends accelerate, the answers from 10, five, or maybe even two years ago no longer apply. And as salespeople map out the next several years, understand that what got you here may not—and, in fact, probably won’t—get you there.
Let me offer some clarity. The new rules that get you from here to there are that salespeople work in two areas of responsibility: one functional, the other human. The functional area involves the mastery of the product, industry knowledge, competitive intelligence, and knowing your customer with an intimate understanding of your organization, so you’re an expert on how to do business with you. Do you know what that gives you? Credibility. It provides you the opportunity to sell.
It’s the human arena that makes all the difference. The human arena is that live interaction between the sales professional and the customer. It’s connecting. It’s educating. It’s providing understanding and assurance of the proper investment. The human connection gets the sale and drives the purchase patterns.
Success is combining both functional and human connection. In the book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There in Sales!, we identify 16 habits that can actually hold you back. These are not flaws of skill, intelligence, or personality. They’re flaws in how we act with and toward others. For the new salesperson, it might be Habit #4, wasting energy or Habit #7, selling past the close. For the seasoned professional, it might be Habit #1, failure to be present, or #16, withholding passion and energy.
We have identified the areas where salespeople can actually get in their own way. We provide you an opportunity to assess your own interpersonal habits and give you the tools to grow and develop to the next level.