I focus on how I can make a difference
The value that I can bring to my prospects and customers lies in nothing other than making improvements to their current situation. Whether that’s making them faster, more efficient, more innovative or able to be more profitable, the thing that will enable them to take me seriously and agree to do business with me is that I can make a real difference to their lives.
I am determined always to be better tomorrow than I was today
Being a value creator means that I always have to be on top of my game. I know that if I do not constantly grow my skills and my knowledge, I will not be able to win the trust that customers need to place in me, and I will not stand out from the crowd. This isn’t about being smarter at convincing people to part with their money; it is about being smarter at understanding what they do, what they need to do better and how I can help them to do that. That means always looking for better ways to approach prospects and customers in a professional manner and engaging with them at a level that enables them to really share with me.
I believe that what I do is positive for you and for me
I am not in this for the money. Or not only for the money anyway. I recognise that sales can be a high-earning career for those who provide high value to customers and I intend to be among that set. That is a very positive thing for me. But I know that I will only ever reach the real pinnacle of my success if I ensure the outcome of my activities is positive for customers. That means not just making a difference, but doing it in a way that restores whatever faith they have lost in the sales process through interactions with salespeople in the past who have made it all about themselves. I aim to make my customers fall in love with the idea of doing business with me, and if I cannot do that, I know I don’t truly deserve their business.
I believe that my customers deserve to get results from my efforts
More than making a difference to them and making them sure they’ve made a great decision to work with me, I believe that customers deserve to have their objectives met. Falling short of that is not an option for me because that would not be providing value. I believe in getting clarity on those results during the sales process so that when the deal is signed, we both know how to measure it, giving us a measurable definition of the value that we have created together.
I am always on the lookout for more and better ways to help
It is my responsibility to be the expert that my customers come to for assistance and that means that I need to always be looking for other ways that I can help. This isn’t just a matter of milking an account to try to extract every last penny. Being entirely respectful of their decision to do business with me in the first place, I vow never to do that. What I aim to do instead is listen, pay attention and spend time learning about them so that I can be sure the solutions I am offering are the ones they need even if they’re not the ones I ideally prefer to sell. This isn’t about me.
I am resourceful. I like to kick rocks over to see what lies beneath
I accept that my customers may not always know what they need. I understand that they’re busy, professional organisations with many demands on them and that being totally on top of every single little area of the business is probably impossible. I accept that it is not their responsibility to find problem areas in the business and bring them to me to fix, but my responsibility to go and find them. I accept also that this will take work, and it may take a long time, but if I am to really be committed to helping my customer be successful, it is my responsibility to dig deep into the organisation and see where there are problem areas they may not be aware of … and then take solutions back to them.
