Value Selling Evolution at Successful Selling 2011 Don Hutson

Second report live from Successful Selling 2011 www.ismm.co.uk

All the  main room presentations for the morning of the Conference in the Jaguar exhibition Hall of the Ricoh Arena included views on aspects of change and how Sales has adapted and will continually adapt to the changing world economic scene.

Three keys to success - John Paul Getty

First off was  Don Hutson  http://www.uslearning.com/ from the United States. Included in his session on Sales Negotiations – Selling Value not Price, was  a section on the Evolution of Selling. Don’s Tennessee accent was a good wake up call for the conference at the start of the day.

Don Hutson at Successful Selling 2011

Don talked us through the history of selling from the Product Pitch of the Snake Oil Salesperson through to the hard sell of the 1940s with its highly pressurised approach and what Don graphically describes as “commission breath”!

 These were given as historical examples but not one selling today should employ. But the next three stages of the history Don outlined still have relevance.

Throughout the 1970s Relationship selling became adopted as the norm  which in concert with Needs Analysis Selling and Symbiotic Selling are now the ways we strive to perfect our approach today.

Don’s combination of energy and wisdom particularly on his take on motivation was interesting. He quoted Henry David Thoreau on motivation:

“Motivation is the pull of anticipation

( our goals/visions) and the push of

discipline ( work and practice.)"

 Motivation of course does not last  but neither , as Don quipped, does a bath yet we need to do it regularly.

Don’s take on goal setting described that gap between Present Self-Image and the Projected Self-Image that we strive for in 5-10 years.

We choose our attitude, Don stressed on a daily basis.

This point rseonated in the room of  sales people who know that our demeanour and spirit is chosen by us to adopt and display in reaction to any given stimulus.  'A smiling face' as Confucius is supposed to have said 'sells!'

Perhaps more sales people should catch Don’s infectious reverse paranoia  ( as his wife describes it) and look on life as full of people (buyers) there to help us !

With the advent of the entry of the Trusted Advisor of today  Don suggested

1.  We need to display to our customer both integrity and character.

2.  We need to be on hand to offer great expertise

3.  Build a top class follow through reputation

( all emphasised in the Buyers Views Survey - free executive summary http://www.tack.co.uk/executive-summary/ )

 

Delegates await the start of the conference at Successful Selling 2011

US learning’s business development model

                                                                                Confidants

                                                                Advocates

                                                 Clients

                                Customers

                Prospects

Suspects

Don then took the audience through his simple but effective negotiation matrix to counter the prevalence of negotiation phobia he believes many sales people to have.

His model consisted of a vertical Proactive- reactive line and a horizontal line of  low cooperation and high cooperation.

The four resultant quadrants were Avoidance ( Walk away), Accommodation , Competitive ( Win –Lose) and Collaboration the ultimate Win-Win.

Finally Don focused on the keys to selling Value

a)   Commodities

b)   Differentiation (s) –in Relationship, Experiential, Process, , Technology and marketing

c)  Value/Price Perspectives

Don’s energy and Memphis common sense got the conference off to a good start.