Historically, those in the competitive world of sales have had a reputation for being misleading and bending the truth to simply make the sale and hit a quota. While this is a stereotype for a reason, there are many salespeople who embrace honesty, look to serve their clients, and ultimately solve a problem, not just make a sale. If you look at the most successful and trusted salespeople, they adopt honesty and are willing to tell their bosses, clients, and colleagues hard truths that are sometime not enjoyable to hear. However, when this is done in a manner where there is compassion and a willingness to help solve problems, the hard truth is respected and earns well-deserved trust.
Honesty builds lasting relationships with clients, and when salespeople are good at presenting the benefits of a solution to a client and are upfront about product or service limitations, trusting relationships are built. Too often, people skip over potential limitations, which may ultimately hinder or even end a business relationship.
Nobody is excited to deliver bad news to a prospect or new client, but most people understand things happen. Being transparent with communication if unexpected product or service delays occur, no matter the reason, is always the right approach. A sale might be lost if timing is an issue, but maintaining trust can pay dividends in the future. If an opportunity arises down the road, there is a higher probability of having a chance to make the deal because of the previous transparency. If timing isn’t an issue, the fact that they were kept in the loop and delays were continuously communicated will be respected.
Train your sales team to focus on problem solving and building relationships based on honesty and trust. This is a strategic advantage for a sales team. If a salesperson comes across as only wanting to make a sale, success is not sustainable as every interaction is a superficial transaction. However, using interpersonal skills to find pain points, solve problems, and ultimately create a trusted business relationship will drive long-term success.
Related:
Is Poor Onboarding Sabotaging Your Sales Team’s Success?
Afraid of Sales Automation? Here’s How to Use it to Your (Competitive) Advantage
Believing in the Sales Lifecycle, Part 3: Solutioning, Overcoming Buying Reticence, and After Gaining the Buy
Believing in the Sales Lifecycle, Part 2: The Connection
