Act Like a Lamb... Sell Like a Lion!
By Rob Salisbury, APS
At some point in your life, you may have heard the song, "What's it all about Alfie?" and pondered the words... 
The composers, Hal David and Burt Bacharach, back in the early 1970s, were posing a question to their listening audience to look at the changes of the times and ask themselves a major question about their lives entering that decade. Of course, the question was not for one specific person named Alfie but for everyone in general...Alfie was the audience of millions Burt and Hal wanted to reach and they did. 
My question to you in this article is along the same lines of thinking, as it relates to your customer relations and selling as a part of your business. 
Long Term vs. Short Term
What is more important today in your business plan? Maintaining good, solid long term client relationships or adding new business through effective, yet "low key" non-manipulative selling methods? 
Notice, I said, "low key" selling methods, not high pressure? 
In the year 2000, the fast-talking, slick sales person has been replaced by sales people who nurture, consult, network, counsel... but sell something? 
That is where the competency of what one is doing and the confidence to do it must come together very quickly in the beginning of a new reps job. 
So, here is the $64,000 question -what is the right balance between maintaining great relationships in our businesses and at the same time, adding new business to the bottom line? 
In researching some fairly up to date material for this article, I came across a number of books whose authors, I feel, have come up with the proper balance and blend between these two areas of business needs. 
The authors are all internationally recognised speakers... two Americans and two Australians. 
America's master sales trainer, Tom Hopkins and Larry Wilson. 
Tom Hopkins, the 30 year veteran of selling skills training and the author of at least seven best selling books, puts it very simply: "People must like you and trust you in order to do business with you, long term. You can make a living making one off sales but the key to greatness in selling lies in long-term relationships. This, backed with excellent service and being a great communicator, to find out the true needs of your customers or clients". 
One of Tom's latest books is called, 'Low Profile Selling... Act Like a Lamb.... Sell Like a Lion'. It's a great title and it has some very strong references to the current trends amongst the very highest paid sales people in the world. 
In the book, Tom says 'low profile selling' can be a difficult concept to grasp because most people's impression of selling is being loud, aggressive, pushy, obnoxious - the lion approach! 
That's why so many people reject sales training. They don't want to learn to be anything like the king of the sales jungle, the lion. 
Hence, the reason so many women are so successful in sales today. They can be soft, feminine (the lamb approach) and very effective in listening to the needs of the client to gain greater trust and credibility. No doubt, this is the main reason we have seen the dominance of men in sales forces around the world drop from over 80 per cent to around equal numbers of men and women. in the last 20 years. 
Why? Because women are great in acting like lambs but watch out because they can also sell like lions. 
Stop Selling, Start partnering
Fellow American, Larry Wilson, author of, 'The One Minute Salesperson', has now written a book called, 'Stop Selling... Start Partnering'. In it, Larry explores and confirms the new thinking about finding and keeping good customers and clients for the long term. If you can get this book from your favourite bookstore, it is an excellent read on global trends on customer loyalty and service. 
If you can't find that, get a copy of Australian speaker and author, Keith Abraham's latest book, 'Creating Loyal Profitable Customers'. This will awaken you to at least 47 new ways to turn your customers into passionate purchasers of your products and/or services. Or another great Australian book, 'What's Ethical About Selling?', by David Penglase. It explores the very nature of how anyone can succeed in sales and still maintain their integrity. 
A Final Word
All of these authors talk about one great truth - if you build long term relationships based on integrity, value, sincerity and loyalty and combine this with good, effective human relations and selling skills, you will be able to answer Alfie's question - because you will know what it's all about. 
Read Only Copyright 2000 Rob Salisbury & SRI Used with permission of author
Strategic Resources International (SRI) is led by Rob Salisbury. Rob is an accomplished Professional Speaker, Certified Sales Trainer, Marketing Strategist, Promotions Expert, Published Author and since 1999, a featured writer for Corporate Trends Magazine in Australia. For more information on Rob and his corporate team visit: www.strategicresources.com.au/
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