Learn to put aside the notion that “good guys finish last”. Let’s talk about how ethical behavior actually enhances your prospects of success. The following article offers tips for achieving a balance between the desire to succeed and ethical conduct.
Is it possible to be both ethical and successful? These two objectives are not mutually exclusive; they actually go hand in hand.
Before you begin mastering the latest sales techniques, keep in mind what your long-term career goals are. Driven by monthly quotas and personal needs, salespeople are sometimes tempted to push the limits in order to make a sale, with only lip service given to ethical considerations. The truth is that you don’t have to put aside ethics to be successful in sales.
Sales Techniques
Many sales techniques are geared towards getting a customer to “say yes.” In principle, there is nothing wrong with this. Without a “yes” there is no sale. But the route you take to get to “yes” needs to be examined.
Before you launch into your sales pitch, you need to determine what the customer really needs and wants. It is your task to uncover their real security needs and concerns. As a professional in the security field, there is an additional responsibility. It is the responsibility of a security professional to offer their best council regarding a system that will adequately protect both life and property – whether or not it is the most profitable solution for you and your company.
Keys to Success
The key to success involves helping people realize what it is they want and explaining to them how your solutions can help them to get it.
The first step is to understand what each component of your system can do. Then translate the technical jargon into specific benefits of importance to your customer. The following example demonstrates how this is done.
Motion detector: system feature (using technical jargon): A passive infrared motion sensor detects a combination of heat and movement, indicating when a human target has been detected.
Motion Detector: system benefit (conveyed in plain language): Our motion detector provides you with additional protection, especially when you are away. Even a clever burglar who finds a way in is going to set off the alarm as soon as he/she starts to move about – preventing them from making off with your valuable possessions.
Performing this step correctly requires an in-depth understanding of security products, empathy for a client’s needs, and the ability to provide an explanation that connects the two.
Regardless of how strongly you feel, you know what is right for a particular customer, and it is the customer’s needs that must drive the sales process. The ethical approach dictates that you never step over the line and try to sell someone a system that they either don’t need, don’t want, or really can’t afford.
In addition to doing what is right, there are consumer protection laws that allow a customer to change their mind, even after signing a contract; an outcome you clearly don’t want. Chances are if a customer thinks they were pushed into something that they don’t feel they need, want, or can’t afford, they are going to push back, leaving you holding the bag. It has to be a win-win, where both sides benefit; the customer by receiving something that addresses their concerns and you by achieving a sense of achievement and monetary rewards.
Learn all you can about your products and techniques for selling them, but also devote time to understanding the psychology of the people you will be dealing with on a daily basis. Practice translating product features into customer benefits. Consider what is ethically and morally correct to do in each situation. If you get this right, you will not only win the respect of your customers and colleagues; you will ensure your long-term success as a security sales professional.
Here are some courses offered by Elite CEU that might be of interest to you:
How to Sell Today’s Wireless Security Technology
Security System Fundamentals for Sales Professionals