Change Is Good!
Change! Why is that such an ugly word for so many people? I cannot answer that question but what I can tell you is that if you are going to be successful in the field of sales, you had better realize that change is constant. The salesperson who, not only adapts to change, but embraces it will reap the rewards.
In the field of sales, there is constant change. Those changes can be product changes, new customers, and even changes in paperwork, change can take place everyday. The biggest change is; most likely, to the product you are selling. How many products can you think of that are the same today as they were twenty or thirty years ago? There are probably a few but not many. The best example that comes to mind is an electronics salesperson. Their product changes, sometimes drastically, every year if not every month. The customer expects their salesperson to know every detail about the equipment they are considering buying. The customer comes to you for the changes because you are the expert. Almost every product changes from year to year and the professional salesperson will be on top of those changes and find the best way to present them to their customers.
Changes in your product, most likely, do not happen everyday. Customers do change everyday, however. The customers and their objections that you had yesterday are going to be different from the ones you encounter today. You must be ready to change your approach and, cater your presentation to the needs of your customer today. No two customers are alike and your ability to change your approach will help determine your level of sales success.
The last set of changes that I want to touch on is in-store or in-house changes, things such as, sales, product specials, guarantees etc. If your store is having a promotion on Widgets, then it is up to you to know the ins and outs of that special promotion. What are the limitations? How long will the promo run? Can the customer still return the product even though it was on sale when purchased? There are numerous questions of this sort but you get the idea. It is your responsibility to be up to date on current promotions within your store and be able to change your approach to meet the needs of your customers. If you learn to excel in the face of change, then you will excel in sales!
FINAO - Brad Huisken - President, IAS Training
