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YOU MUST BE THE REASON FOR THE CUSTOMER TO CHANGE By Tom Reilly, the guy who wrote the book on Value-Added Selling (McGraw-Hill) I was recently having lunch with salespeople at one of our seminars. One of the salespeople asked what kind of books I read. I told him that I read books on psychology, philosophy, business, spiritual matters, novels, writing, and even history. I’ve always thought it made sense to read more than one genre to avoid becoming one dimensional. So, I alternate. Invariably, I discover a nugget tucked away in the most unusual place. For example, I read a passage by Gandhi that really spoke to the salesman in me. Even though his context was different than my reading of it, I still garnered something valuable. He said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Playing with the wording a bit, I read: “You must be the reason for the change you wish to see in your customer.” The truth in Gandhi’s words compels us to hold ourselves to high standards. The pull of your sales truth must be stronger than the resistance of inertia or the lure of a competitor’s cheap price. Your sales truth must overshadow the customer’s fear of change. The customer must see that the greater risk he or she faces is not stepping out of a comfort zone but missing the opportunity to do business with you. You must be the reason for why the customer is willing to abandon how they are currently attempting to meet their needs. These words hang on a plaque outside the school library at Truman State University: “Not all readers become leaders, but all leaders must be readers.” Harry Truman © 2005 TOM REILLY |
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