Peady’s Selling Engagement sponsored by IRD Prospector
I love this quote from Richard Branson: “The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all”. In other words, take some risks to enjoy your life!
Selling and risk taking
Many of us have a tendency to play it safe however selling requires a degree of risk, stretching ourselves, moving from our comfort zone.
Unfortunately, some don’t want to appear too radical. They think, “I want to keep my job, so I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing”. There’s just one problem with this approach – it doesn’t push you forward.
By the way don’t confuse taking a risk with being risky or reckless! They are two different things.
How much risk?
Responsible risk-taking puts you in the spotlight, makes you a leader and allows you to take control. But it’s all about being smart. Here’s a few things to consider:
- Trust your instincts
- Be realistic
- Have a positive view of things
- Learn from your successes and failures
And my customers?
They too will be prepared to take risks.
Generally, there are two groups of customers (and potential customers) – risk takers and those who are risk averse. So you need two strategies to deal with them.
Risk takers:
- seek gains
- are optimistic
- open to new opportunities and ideas
Risk averse:
- want to avoid losses
- are prepared for the worst
- stick to tried and true methods
The best salespeople are able to adapt their approach based on the needs of the buyer. But in return, buyers will choose how to respond as well. Be prepared.
Today salespeople have to be adaptable to succeed while knowing how to optimally adapt your sales strategy to match the buyer’s motivation. This gives you a major edge.
Until next week good selling!
About the author
Stephen Pead is a media industry veteran of 30 years with significant experience in direct sales, sales management and general management. He is based in Sydney and specialises in helping SME’s market their businesses more effectively and providing training for salespeople and sales managers.
He can be contacted at [email protected]
