How to Sell Like a Champion in the 21st Century

One of my best friends and business colleagues called me today to tell me a story that offers lessons for all sales professionals in the 21st Century.

My buddy is a business development banker for a large regional bank. This afternoon he picked up a hard copy of a newsletter sent out by a regional CPA firm that his bank has been targeting to develop a business banking relationship for a number of years, but has had little progress in getting through for even a basic appointment.

While reading the newsletter my buddy, John, found an article he thought had tremendous value for those who are on his e-mail list which he invites to read his personal Business Banker Blog. So, he called the CPA firm’s principal partner and asked if he could have permission to run the article. The answer was a resounding “yes” and so now you can read it on his Business Banker Blog here.

During the discussion John learned that the CPA firm’s principal had just come back from a conference where blogging was a topic and was beginning to investigate how it can help the firm’s marketing. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

So, John and the principal of this firm imediately engaged in a deeper discussion about the value of blogging. By the end of the call John was invited to lunch to continue their discussion.

The moral of the story for all of us in the sales game in the 21st Century is to focus on giving value upfront first, with no expectation of reciprocation because it has the power of opening doors that have been being knocked on the traditional sales way for YEARS!

What opportunities do you have to give value or to contribute to helping your prospects first without expectation of direct reciprocation, doing it with a totally altruistic mindset to either a) open, or b) build a deeper, relationship with one of your most challenging business prospects?