A review continued for Tactical Transparency,Ch. 4, From prospects to people:
Why opaque selling doesn’t deliver long-term return on investment
Everybody pitches. -from Tactical Transparency: how leaders can leverage social media to maximize value and build their brand
I’m still immersed in the useful insights of authors Shel Holtz and John Havens; and I can’t get enough of their book. Last week launched this review series covering the third chapter about characteristics of transparent organizations. And in light of economic times, how transparent sales strategy benefits your business seemed timely to talk about now.
Communications that interrupt your customers … are out!
Communications based in relationship-oriented marketing … are in!
So this may sound painfully obvious but I ask for your patience in saying this: being honest is the cornerstone of relationships and certainly those in a sales dynamic; yes – I appreciate those of you who may be rolling their eyes at this seemingly trite remark. But frankly how present is honesty – and the correlating transparency – in traditional sales development? Potential customers are often viewed as numbers to quench a thirsty sales quota. And after working in sales years ago, I remember some of colleagues’ approaches. What I recall most is their competition for numbers only vs a sense of service and long-term relationship building. In this chapter, Holtz and Havens specify how transparent relations emerge trust between you and your customer to ideally form a longer term opportunity to reach goals – for sales pro and customer alike.
Combining sense of service and influence: honesty is the link
The desire to actually sell someone your product is not the problem; but thrusting one-way pitches with a here-read-this-brochure insistency is. This chapter offers it all — sharing (8) tactics of transparent, relational tips to the Social Customer Manifesto, the authors discuss these concepts in a concrete, results-driven style. From making small talk more substantive with potential customers — to sharing social media ideas for two-way talks — the examples & case studies provide great context to transparent communications that can lead to trust and thus to customers more likely to see your sales professionalism as a resource.
My favorite part
…about this section is how influencing one’s customer in the spirit of serving them was addressed. It was framed as another trust building investment to seek a green light on just how much impact the sales professional can have. A featured expert describes what he asks his customers up front as they enter the sales cycle, quoting:
How heavily do you want me to influence you here?
In the context of educating the customer, I found this directness refreshing (and strategically useful). The sales executive asked permission from the customer on what degree of involvement they can engage. And it’s understood the sales exec will honor the customer’s reply, even if it delays the sales decision.
Direct. Transparent. Permission-centric. Trust-based. Service-driven…all make for fertile ground in having fruitful relationships with new and current clients.
In weeks ahead: reviewing selected chapters from Tactical Transparency
- -Ch. 10: En-Gauge the Conversation: how issue blogs show people you’re listening;
- -Ch. 16: Yeah, But…: overcoming objections;
- -Ch. 17: Your Road Map to Transparency: creating a plan
- And did you catch it? Check out thoughts via audio cast & more for the first review in this series, starting with Chapter 3: Do You Have What It Takes? Characteristics of Transparent Organizations.
Photo Through A Glass, Darkly by Drumsnwhistles under Creative Commons License A-NC-ND Works 2.0.
Book jacket for Tactical Transparency used with permission from Meredith Stanton at John Wiley & Sons.
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