254New Marketing Reality 8New Marketing Reality 8
‘Slick’ is OUT. Credibility is IN
First came Dress for Success, teaching you the importance of looking sharp if you
are looking to succeed in sales. Then the seminars about everything from Power
Closing Skills to Professional Selling Skills by leading management consulting
companies... even courses teaching you how to manipulate people based on their
eye movement. The end result was to make you a slick sales person.
Listen carefully. The quality of the pen you use isn’t nearly as important as the
depth of your credibility. Is the way you look important? Of course it is. Should
you not drive a nice car if you’re taking prospects to look at houses? Sure, it
should be a great car! But when it comes to comparing externals like dress, pens
and cars to internals such as integrity, knowledge, character and trust, they aren’t
even comparable.
The reality of our day is that unless you are seen as a trusted, credible advisor
who solves problems for people and that you will put them and their needs ahead
of what you are pushing or will make from them, you are dead in the water.
This is another example of why you need to consider yourself as opposed to
your company as the key offering. You need to create a perception in the mind of
your target population that you can be trusted. You need to position yourself as
knowledgeable. They will buy YOU first.