Is anybody Listening?

I talk to business owners and sales reps everyday. What’s amazing to me is they can’t seem to get together.

The business owners need more sales and so does the sales rep. So what’s the deal? Two things:

1. The business owner doesn’t trust the rep is looking out for his business, so he isn’t listening.

2.The rep is just trying to make a sale, so they don’t listen.

Nobody is listening.

I know some good reps and some great reps. The difference between the good ones and the great ones is… the great ones care. That’s it… they care. Actually taking the time to find out what’s wrong with the picture, what they can do about it, and offer to help the business owner get there. It could be as simple as that, they listened.

Sometimes I think we get too wrapped up in techniques, agendas, and the “one size fits all” approach to marketing a business. You and I both know it’s different today. There are too many places your customers seek and find information to make a buying decision. Could it be that you are not where they are looking these days? Listening is still the most important thing you can do. Whether you are the business owner or a sales rep. If you don’t know that your business should be where potential customers are spending their time, and it’s online by the way, you should listen to your rep. There are so many ways you can effectively market your business and not break the bank doing it. Social media,mobile coupons, SEM, SEO, content sites and display ads to name a few. As a rep, if you work in the digital space and don’t believe that the business owner you’re sitting in front of needs to be there, you should find another job. It’s not listening to his real needs that keep you and him from success. It all starts with a goal, a plan, and following the steps to get there…and that all starts …..with listening. So why don’t you two get together?… and start listening.