Science, Not Art
I am a firm believer that sales is a science, not an art. We often hear that great sales leaders are born with "it." I think that is a complete cop-out. There is a science to selling just as there is to engineering but simply because one is good at engineering does not mean they make a great engineer. In every profession, to be successful, there needs to be a fit. Once there is a professional fit, there are things one can do to be incrementally better at their job. Sales is no different, and it is my passion to share with others the foundation I have followed during my career.
8 Pillars
There are 8 fundamental pillars one must understand before they can ever begin selling. Often times we jump straight to our sales process without understanding these key factors, but understanding our market and how our product fits in the market is mission-critical to our sales success.
The Core
Once we have established our foundation we must then understand the core of our company and/or product. At the core of our company/product lies our value prop / core competency, understanding our addressable market, respecting the competitive landscape, identifying the path to our ideal customer, recognizing the buying habits of our customer, defining our sales process, and equipping ourselves the resources to be successful.
