Partnership vs. Vendorship

Sick of long cycles and prospects lying to you? Start developing a Partnership with your clients instead of being a vendor to your customers. If your primary contact with a prospective client is in Purchasing or Facilities, you are a vendor and will never be more than a vendor; a number in a cell, next to another. I am not suggesting that Purchasing or Facilities should not be involved in the selling process. But as long as Purchasing or Facilities is your ONLY contact, you are selling on borrowed time. 

Partnerships are Developed "High" - Get "upstairs", on the level where visions take place. At least get there and tell your story; your day-to-day contact with your client may end up being at a lower level, but you gave yourself and your company visibility. Is this easy? Nope. Can you do it with your bottom planted in your chair? 

Nope. 

Can a "rookie-newb" get in front of a C-Level and explain the value? Nope. But you can. "Sales Training" classes are at best going to tell you what you don't know and at worst try to teach you "selling techniques" - "techniques" are for Newbs - stay away from teachers of "techniques". Instead, improve yourself in other ways - like learning as much as you can about business. 

Business in general. And business in specific terms. And then, discover the impact that your Partnership brings to the table. 

Example: Copiers. 

If you sell copiers, ask yourself, "How do this copier and my company, affect my customers' business?" Answer to yourself at least 4 times, throw out the first 3, and what remains is "The One" the real reason - to start. 

Peel Away The Onion - It is not "just a copier" - it's a reason employees can get their work done in 8hrs OR it's a reason people stay late and come in on the weekends. It's all about the results of your offering - not the offering itself. Good or bad, we inject ourselves into our client's world; and we have an effect, good or bad. 

Once you figure out what your Effect is, you can begin to have conversations with prospects around the business impact, not the "first copy out" speed. And you know your competition is selling on specifications, not results.