http://blog.ivytechpartners.com/2007/01/dont_be_a_sales.html
by: IT Sales Ideas
Don't be a Sales Person
A couple of great posts by the usual suspects (for great posts on sales subjects), Jill Konrath and Jim Logan, reminded me that sales people should not think like sales people.
We've all heard the terms "consultative selling" and "solution selling" but we often forget to practice what we believe. Both these philosophies implore us to offer solutions to our clients and prospects not push product. But sometimes we just get carried away and start harping on about how great we and our products are.
Start thinking like a consultant or a business person trying to help a peer and now you have the right mindset for solution (or consultative) selling. Consultants and business people prepare for meetings, they research markets, they develop ideas and they write thought leadership pieces.
In all the markets I experience there are always more suppliers than there are clients. Sales people need to stand out from the crowd. One way still open to us is to think like consultants or business people and add our own personal value to our prospects.
Jim Logan says:
Corporate executives, business owners, investors, and senior management rarely have time for sales people; they always have time for businesspeople. The reason is businesspeople address issues of their primary concern - enabling business. Salespeople generally talk about their products and services.
Jill Konrath says:
Stop putting on your sales hat! Stop thinking of yourself as a seller. You are a business improvement specialist. As a result of your work to improve your customer's operation, they will buy your product or service. Sales is the outcome of what you do, but it is not your purpose.