After conducting over 4,000 live events as a corporate teacher, I am convinced that salespeople drastically underestimate the power of their own attributes with regard to their results, reputation, referral base, and customer retention capacity. Your personal attributes are your business card. It's what people see in you, feel from you, and hear from you that will lead them to tell others about you and your products and services.
The Attribute Check-Up
Today's customers are more demanding and better educated than ever before. Their ability to research prior to purchasing has armed them with more buyer confidence and has served to increase their expectations of salespeople.
As a result, salespeople's character attributes matter more now than ever before. Consistent attribute checkups are mandatory for success. Look at the list below and be brutally honest with yourself. Do you display these attributes consistently with your customers?
Trustworthy
Service-minded
Intelligent
Authentic
Likeable
Customer-focused
Enthusiastic
Prepared
Available
Active Listening
There are many important attributes we could discuss, but these attributes will set you apart and give your customers and potential customers a high degree of confidence in you. These attributes need to be defined, refined and evaluated often in order to be consistently on display.
Questions to Answer:
How do you define each one of these important attributes?
How will you represent each one of these attributes from a behavioral standpoint?
How do you feel each one of these attributes will affect your customers and potential customers?
How would you rank these 10 attributes in order of importance?
What is one "I will" action you can implement to would improve each attribute?
Next Steps:
Create an attribute card for each attribute with the definition listed.
Read this card every day before you begin your workday.
Write 10 "I will" action statements to refine the attributes on the back.
Review your planned actions each day, and hustle to execute.
If you adopt this strategy, I have no doubt you will expand your audience because your prospects and customers will become your personal advocates. They will become your personal storytellers at home and work.
Why would you not adopt this strategy? What is preventing you from taking action today? What might be holding you back? Resolve these questions, and step over hesitancy and doubt. Embrace action and belief!
Make a difference today.
Paul Cummings
How can you live a life of real intention and purpose instead of duty and obligation? It All Matters offers one hundred and twenty-five life-changing strategies to inspire you and help you to develop your skill sets, build more knowledge, improve your attitude, and develop work habits that truly pay off. When you read It All Matters, you join me as your personal coach. I'll ask you questions that challenge you to find your "It"...inspire you to define your "All"... and encourage you to begin your journey towards greatness so that you can determine what truly “Matters.”
If you enjoyed this article, and want to receive more stories from me, you can join my newsletter here. Find out about Paul Cummings University demos here.