Megan Soto

Transparency is the new currency in business. As a sales person - You must have transparency in your services. Make it easy for a customer to do business with you. As a sales coach - Transparency with your team members around where they stand. Everyone should know where they stand through clear expectations, As a business leader - Transparency in business decisions and strategy. Your employees want to be a part of something special. Build a vision around your strategy so that every team member understands their role/part in making that happen.

"RASA" is a phenomenal model to leverage when seeking feedback: Receive, Acknowledge, Summarize, Ask R - receive, make eye contact, active listening A - nod your head, validate S - "so what I heard you say…" A - Do you mind if I ask you some questions? This works even better when you can ask open ended two sided question that makes both you and the customer think. Ex, "How are you thinking about accomplishing this?"

Value is in the eye of the beholder. What one customer considers valuable might be irrelevant/unimportant to another. Potential clients want a vendor who understands their business, sometimes better than they can. A partner who can "see around the corner" and spot potential hurdles before they become an issue. When trust has been established, an understanding of value drivers and prioritization of those drivers has been established, a salesperson can endeavor to close a sale knowing their is a mutual commitment to each other's success. The customer is happy because they know you're operating with their best interests in mind, and the salesperson is happy because they know their probability of closing a deal is significantly increased.

Do not overlook how valuable preparation can be when establishing rapport with potential clients. Before you ever meet a potential client, you should try to understand the answers to these four questions: 1. How could you help this client increase revenue? 2. What could this client do to save money? 3. What are risk factors for this client to consider? 4. How can this client improve the experience of it's product or service for its customers? These four value drivers are often fueling many business initiatives for most organizations. Coming in with a point of view will not only help you establish rapport, but it will also drive instant credibility when relationship-building and trust will take time.