You have a story to tell: a history of your sales performance and your successes; a list of solutions you’ve provided to your customers; the lessons you’ve learned over the course of your career. You may not realize it, but you can use data to tell your story.
Today on Sales From The Street, we talk with Clarence Butts about the role data can play in your sales process.
Find decision-makers
One of Clarence’s biggest challenges in 25 years of sales has been locating the people who can make decisions and finding the project managers he can establish relationships with.
Somewhere along the way, he discovered that putting the information he had into a map helped him have a visual representation of where those opportunities were. It helped him determine where to invest his time, his energy, and his effort.
He discovered that once you know where they are, you can concentrate your time and effort into building relationships and developing contacts.
In his current territory, for example, he knows who the project managers are, and they know him. So even if they move from one project to another, they understand what he has to offer. They maintain relationships with him even as they transition to other projects.
Motivate yourself
Lots of companies will give you time at the front end of a new role to establish relationships and build networks. After that, you’re on your own.
That kind of pressure motivates some people, and frustrates others.
For Clarence, his initial motivation comes stems from the things he hopes to do with his family. He enjoys the fruits of being able to travel with his family. That motivates him to get out of bed every day.
His other motivation is chasing his competitors.
Finally, when he is able to enjoy the fruit of his work, that energizes him to keep working.
Use data to tell your story
As different locations scramble to attract Amazon’s next headquarters, many of them have used data to sell their regions. They use Story Maps, statistics, and other data to convince Amazon to choose their city.
Digital Territory wants to make the same capability available to the average salesperson. They’re seeking to bring the cost of the technology within reach of the individual sales rep so he can use data as part of his sales process.
Episode resources
There’s a reason I continue suggesting the book, Stop Selling & Start Leading: How to Make Extraordinary Sales Happenfrom our sponsors at Wiley. It’s a fantastic blueprint of all the things buyers say they expect from sellers and want from sellers.
I’m so convinced of its message that I’m offering a free excerpt of the book so you can check it out.
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