Archive for April 3rd, 2009
8 Ways to go from Sales Vendor to Trusted Partner
part⋅ner [pahrt-ner] –noun 1. what every book on sales says a salesperson or business owner should become in order to be successful and make cow choking quantities of money that one could not hide under a house, let alone a mattress.
Webster’s Dictionary would define the word partner a little differently, I am certain, but we are not talking about the dictionary for normal people, we are talking about the Zigler-Hill Unabridged Dictionary for Sales Professionals & Business Owners.
What is a Partner?
A partner is a trusted resource that can be counted on to assist on an as needed basis in a mutually beneficial, but not necessarily equal, relationship. We help solve our client’s problems with our expertise and they help solve some of our problems with cash.
None of us are experts on everything we have to make decisions on in our daily lives. We need partners, advisors, parents, attorneys, accountants, carpet cleaners, plumbers, electricians, cable guys etc. to help us make good decisions and keep our lives running.
By saying you want to be a partner you are saying you want to occupy that small slice of someone else’s life that you happen to be an expert in. There are only so many available slots so how do you get to be that guy?
How do you become a Partner? Here are eight thoughts to get you started.
- Acquire knowledge that your client needs but does not have the time/desire to acquire.
- Bring a unique and valued perspective. If you deal with many clients in the same industry there may be instances where you have seen common problems solved many different ways that you might be able to suggest. Your unique perspective in this instance is something your client cannot duplicate easily.
- Understand your clients business to the point that your client can just explain the issues without having to explain the business.
- Look ahead for your client. There are so many fires to put out each and every day it can be difficult to look down the road and watch for issues or advantages that could impact a business. Be the eyes for your client, keeping them informed of new laws, products, technologies or trends might impact their business. The better you understand their business the more valuable this type of resource can be.
- Be consistent and reliable. You can only be a partner or trusted resource when you are there when needed. If you are unreliable or inconsistent your customer will find another resource to help solve problems in your area of expertise.
- Make your client’s job easier. Provide information, insight or resources that help your client do his or her job better.
- Go to bat for your client when needed. Sometimes your employer’s interest or even your own personal interests can conflict with what is best for your client. Sometimes your clients need a man on the inside protecting their interests.
- Respect your client’s time. If you call or stop by, have something worth saying. If you want to talk about the latest wiz-bang features on your product then limit it to the features that would make sense for your client and explain them in terms of your clients business.
Establishing partnerships is a mindset not a mission statement. The easiest way for me to remember to stay in the right frame of mind is to remember a simple line.
“Help your client build his business so he is in a better position to help you build yours.”
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