Does the perfect salesperson exist?
Many salespeople believe that they have the correct attitudes and behaviours to be the best salesperson they can be. However, research carried out by Consalia CEO, Dr Phil Squire during his doctoral work, found the opposite – up to 90% of salespeople sell to customers in a negative way, these being:
- Manipulative
- Supplier-Centricity
- Complacency
- Overt Arrogance
This doctoral work consisted of 79 interviews with companies in a range of sectors, from Telecoms to Retail to Manufacturing, and this led to defining the positive and negative mindsets and behaviours that customers look for from salespeople that, if lived, would put the salesperson in the “Winner’s Circle” – i.e. the top 10% of salespeople that sell to customers in a way that they want.
What are these Positive Mindsets and Key Behaviours?
Following on from his research, Dr Phil has produced a description of the Positive Mindsets and Behaviours that customers look for and want. These four key mindsets are:
- Authenticity
- Client-Centricity
- Proactive Creativity
- Tactful Audacity
Each of these mindsets has been broken down into “drive” behaviours, what you can do as a salesperson to exhibit these in your day-to-day work. Below will be a brief description of each of the behaviours:
Authenticity: Honest and Credible
With this mindset, salespeople will be themselves and avoid what is sometimes perceived as a scripted sales approach. Buyers will observe unauthentic behaviour very quickly when a seller is using a sales method and will immediately see the salesperson as having the negative mindset of manipulation.
Client-Centricity: Interested and Knowledgeable
It isn’t just about the customer – it’s their entire ecosystem, including partners, suppliers, customers, competitors. It is about going the extra mile for your customer and looking to add extra value to their business.
How do I exhibit these Mindsets and Behaviours?
To take yourself to the next level as a salesperson and enter the “Winners Circle”, you must exhibit all 4 of these mindsets, alongside the key behaviours a customer looks for. To find out exactly how to exhibit these behaviours alongside how to be Proactive Creative and Tactfully Audacious.
Proactive Creativity + Tactful Audacity
These are the two mindsets really elevate the salesperson to the next level. They require a more strategic thinker, being one step ahead and coming up with ideas that the customer has not thought about before. Tactful Audacity may be a term you may not have come across before. This is the art of knowing how far to go without going too far.
Do you have the values that underpin these behaviours? Take our mindset survey!
