“Selling is a number game, but always shoot on target.”
– The 25 Unbreakable Laws of Sales
I saw this brilliant illustration online on location and audience:
A violinist played for 45 minutes in the New York subway. A handful of people stopped, a couple clapped, and the violinist raised about $30 in tips. No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. In that subway, Joshua played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. Two days before he played in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out a Boston theatre, and the seats averaged about $100.
The experiment proved that the extraordinary in an ordinary environment does not shine and is so often overlooked and undervalued. There are brilliantly talented people everywhere who aren’t receiving the recognition and reward they deserve. But once they arm themselves with value and confidence and remove themselves from an environment that isn’t serving them, they thrive and grow.
Your gut is telling you something. Listen to it if it’s telling you where you are isn’t enough! Go where you are appreciated and valued. “
Before you sell, define your market
The story is a good case of identifying the right audience in sales and marketing. The 15th law of the 25 Unbreakable Laws of Sales, says, “Sales is a number game, but always shoot on target.” If you have not identified the right audience, don’t initiate the sales activities. Don’t waste your bullets!
As a sales and marketing professional and certified training consultant, I have always promoted the concept of STP: Segmenting, Targeting and Positioning. This is where sales and marketing begin. You must know your audience. You must plan and organise your target audience. You must position in the right market.
The “Place” element in the four Ps of marketing is important. The Place is where you sell your products and the distribution channel you use to get it to your customers. You must be intentional in choosing the Place because it determines your audience and your outcome. This is why STP is important in sales and marketing. It tells you where to sell, who to sell to, when to sell to a target market, how to sell to an audience, and why you are selling to the target market.
Your product determines the market
When I train sales and marketing professionals, I tell them that if they sell the right product in the wrong market, it will fail. If they sell the wrong product in the right market, it will fail. You must sell the right product to the right market, using the right strategy. Nothing beats this method in salesmanship. Always sell like a champion!
Let’s look at the opening illustration once more. The violinist played for 45 minutes in the subway and handful of people stopped, a couple clapped, and the violinist raised about $30 in tips. No one knew he was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. In that subway, Joshua played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
Note that two days before he played in the subway, Joshua Bell had sold out a Boston theatre, and the seats averaged about $100. The question is, what happened? The simple answer is that he sold in a wrong market! He sold to an audience who didn’t know who he was; they didn’t also know the value of his offering or the worth of his violin. The result in this kind of scenario is usually low sales. This was what Joshua got!
In sales, perception is reality
As a sales professional, what do you think you are to your customers and prospects? Who are you to them? Are you a sales professional who is just transactional – you remember them only when you want to sell? Or are you someone who go the extra mile to invest in the professional relationship with your customers and prospects? The way you and your company relate with customers and prospects determine your perception score.
The way you treat your customers determines the way they will perceive you and your company. This will later affect the way they buy. If you treat them professionally, maintaining a cordial relationship that gives them value, the perception score will be high. If you treat them the wrong way, the perception score will be low. This is the reality.
I usually recommend that sales managers set, as part of KPIs, what is called Customer’s Perception Report. This is where you ask questions and get feedback on how customers feel about your company. The way they feel about your company, products and services, will help your team in planning.
Perception is a function of brand building, and brand building is not a destination; it is a journey. You keep getting better by the day. The better the brand becomes, the higher the customer perception. This is the summary of the teachings of Brand Equity Management.
When next you set out to sell, ensure you have the right product for the right market. This is where sales success begins.
Buy books by George O. Emetuche, reach us for cutting-edge training for your sales team and other professionals. Call, 07060559429, 08186083133, or visit, www.thesellingchampionconsulting.com. www.nigeriasalesconference.com.
