Commercial Integrator March 2022 - 12

AV BRAINS & BRAWN
about simply showing up and selling
the " speeds and feeds, " using technical
jargon to seal the deal. If we are objective,
using those old metrics and that old
approach, most everyone appears the
same or very similar. It is not enough just
to claim you are " better. " After all, everybody
claims that.
Today, the buyer requires more to
decide in your favor. That " more " is differentiation!
It may take many forms, but,
invariably, it goes beyond the product (i.e.,
the solution) you are selling. The " more "
requires a new sales approach. It is often
said that the three feet across the table
from the salesperson to the buyer is the
toughest gap to bridge in a sale; it goes
beyond that, though. It is the nature of
what is done with that proximity that makes
the difference. The nature we speak about
is one of providing value in the buyer's
eyes. The key is understanding what they
value. This takes a new kind of work, and
one size certainly does not fit all.
With pervasive commoditization and the
appearance of parity, the seller must decide
if they are content with just being a vendor,
thus having the built-in limitations of a
transactional sale. Alternatively, they must
decide if they subscribe to becoming a true
partner. If so, their sales approach must
undergo a paradigm shift.
To address the changing role of the salesperson in AV, an eight-hour sales seminar,
titled, " Sales, Your Role and the Importance of You " is being launched.
additional needs that go beyond immediate
concerns or beyond those issues listed
on a request for proposal (RFP). These
professionals are problem solvers who, in
addition to selling products and services,
sell operational solutions.
Occupying the highest rung on the sales
ladder are the salespeople who go beyond
products and immediate solutions in the
beginning and establish a " business fit "
with the client. The goal is for the seller to
become involved in mission-critical applications
or functions; help identify critical
business issues; and suggest targeted
solutions that help customers increase mar'The
key concept here is to understand the actual
need of the buyer and comprehend the benefits of
differentiation for both buyers and sellers.'
Those who focus on closing the current
sale, while making no attempt to build
long-term relationships, are vendors. In
this competitive world of parity, vendors
face price objections and then offer lower
prices to differentiate themselves and
their offerings to make the sale. Moreover,
they inevitably encounter product
evaluators or purchasing agents (i.e.,
gatekeepers) who are intent on limiting
any access to the real decision-makers in
upper management.
Solution Providers
One rung up the ladder from vendors are
the AV salespeople who are best characterized
as solution providers. They identify
12
Commercial Integrator MARCH 2022
ket share, cut costs and enhance customer
satisfaction. This approach addresses the
new reality of the seller/buyer relationship
by introducing new skills.
This is all based on truly researching and
understanding the client, maintaining communication
up and down the organizational
ladder, and delivering an effective presentation
that shows the business fit. The
premise is that senior-level decision-makers
are more likely to buy based on the value
of what a salesperson knows about their
business and them, rather than to buy based
on what they know about the salesperson,
their products and their services. This is
tangible value beyond the product or price
or a single solution.
An Essential Sales Seminar
To address the changing role of the
salesperson in AV, a new, eight-hour sales
seminar is being launched. It's entitled
" Sales, Your Role and the Importance of
You, " and details are forthcoming. It discusses
impediments to new opportunities,
including the appearance of parity and
commodity paralysis. It explores the need
for differentiation, and it shows conclusively
that, today, the difference is you, the
salesperson.
The course includes all the following:
› the history of sales
› exploring you, the salesperson
› synthesizing today's most effective
sales models
› differentiating by adding your value
› understanding customers and their
personalities
› handling objections, continuances and
rejections
› being productive versus being busy
› buyers, sellers and influencers
› keys to success
The changing roles of buyers necessitates
a change in the way we sell to them.
By making those changes, we best position
ourselves to address the changing needs of
the market in a meaningful manner.
The only constant is change. It's up to
us to understand it, embrace it and react
to it. In the end, you will profit from it both
personally and professionally.
Alan C. Brawn, CTS, ISF, ISF-C,
DSCE, DSDE, DCME, is the
principal of Brawn Consulting.
commercialintegrator.com
JOHN/STOCK.ADOBE.COM
http://www.commercialintegrator.com
Commercial Integrator March 2022

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