Building Trust in Relationships– Why I'm Not a Salesperson

Written By Martie Mitchell,
Sales Manager at Rockton Software

“I HATE Salespeople!”
Have you ever heard anyone say that?  Have you ever said that?

I know I have . . . and at the time I meant it!

What is it that we all dislike about the proverbial used car salesman?
Well, for me it’s that they don’t give me time to do my own research and narrow my selection.
Freely translated:  get comfortable with what I’m looking for and what’s available

They circle like vultures, swooping in the moment I park my car.  Then they begin . . . “Hi!  What’s your name?  How can we help you today? How much are you thinking of spending?  Is that your trade-in?  I’m so-and-so, and let me show you around….”   And, I’m thinking to myself, NOOO STOP!

What impression am I left with?
They’re in it for them. They want to get me to spend as much as I have, and take it from me as quickly as possible. They won’t know—or care—who I am tomorrow (unless of course, I’m buying another car).
Bottom Line: I don’t believe them, and more importantly, I don’t trust them; this happens in the first five minutes, and it keeps going downhill from there.

Now ask me what I do for a living?  I sell Rockton Software, but I’m NOT a salesperson.
Ok.  So maybe this is random rationalization in my own head, but this is what I AM. I am seriously interested in helping people. I genuinely like meeting new people and discovering our commonalities. I passionately believe that our products and services are incomparable in our industry. I love the challenge of solving problems.

So how do I go about doing all this without selling like the aforementioned car dealer?
For me, it starts with serious listening—not just hearing, but actually listening to what people are saying.  I don’t cold call, so I don’t have to overcome the hurdle of convincing anyone why they should look at my wares to begin with. Rockton customers http://www.rocktonsoftware.com/Sales/CaseStudies.aspx have already reached out in some way; even if it’s just a few questions on a fact-finding mission, or they’ve received a recommendation from a friend or consultant.

Then, I begin to ask questions—real questions.  Relevant questions, about their business needs.  This is how to build trust.  How can I possibly recommend Rockton products with integrity until I know about their business, issues and concerns?  Sometimes my recommendation is that Rockton products are NOT the answer they’re looking for.  That’s honesty.

We must all remember to listen, be truthful, and not over-promise in our zeal to close a sale.  When the customer begins to believe that we really do have their best interests as our priority, they begin to trust what we share with them.

Finally, I always put myself in my customer’s shoes.  I have a brain.  I’m reasonably intelligent.  I don’t like to be patronized.   I can generally tell when someone’s pulling the wool over my eyes.  I want to be treated with dignity and respect, and I believe that my customers deserve nothing less. I am an expert in my field of how Rockton products can enhance the GP experience, and I’m happy to share this knowledge so my customer can run a more efficient operation by removing one problem area in their business.

Treat your customer like your best friend and no less sincerely than you want to be treated and you will not only grow your sales, you’ll make new friends.  Who can top that?