Yes, you. You and I. We, the sales voice of our brand. Win or lose, close the deal or closed out, we are ultimately responsible. Not marketing, not customer service, not the caffeine-addicted SDR, but you and I. And if you are an entrepreneur, wearing all the hats… yes, you too.
Early in my sales career, I lived the “learn from failure” journey like an elite champion. Some of my most respected colleagues would say, “Tarabelle, you did your best. There was nothing more you could have done. It’s not your fault.” But I never let that comment soothe me. If I believed it was the fault of the competition, the prospect, or the marketing materials, then I became instantly powerless to changing outcomes. Of course it was my fault! I remained determined to be brutally honest with myself and grow better after every disappointment. And then, when I started winning – well that was my fault too!
Today I see a bit of a shift in this blame game. The tendency is to hide behind marketing and hope that it’s so clever, so sexy, so sugary that it wins the sale. I see sales teams complain about marketing assets. And I see small businesses and entrepreneurs invest countless hours and dollars to develop and deploy the marketing plan of the ages. Now don’t get me wrong. Strong, sleek, cutting-edge marketing is essential in today’s landscape. It is the foundation, the engine that powers the sale. But it is the voice of sales that gives it gas and drives conversations that translate to revenue.
For someone to invest in our business, they must see that our unique value is perfectly aligned to their aspirations. And this is the joy of sales! While marketing is that perfectly crafted tagline, value statement, mission and script, sales is how we customize the marketing message to the individual client or audience. In Talk to the Brain language, marketing delivers on dopamine (feelings of anticipation and intrigue) and strong sales delivers on serotonin (feelings of pride and validation). Salespeople do much more than memorize snazzy marketing content. The role of sales is to embrace the marketing message and customize it so that it shines a light on our prospect’s unique assets and opportunities. The salesperson cares enough to align their value so that it resonates with individual clients’ perspectives and exceeds their definition of success.
Are your marketing efforts delivering on your definition of success? Maybe your sales voice could use a refresh for today’s competitive market. We are here to help elevate your messaging and customize your sales conversations to grow your business. Connect here to learn more.
See you at the celebration!
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