Via Sharon Parker

on Jun 6, 2012

Using Respect to Create a Mindful Business.

Anita Ritenour

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed on several radio shows about my new book, Selling with Soul.

One of the items we discussed was an article I wrote called, “10 Tips for Selling and Living with Soul.” For the next 10 weeks, I’ll be sharing each of those tips with you and writing about how they can help you enjoy having your work and your life in harmony with your core values.

Selling with soul is respecting yourself and your customer.

It’s not about manipulating or persuading someone. It’s maintaining your personal power while allowing your customer to be empowered as well. So the first tip is about respect.

#1 Respect

My goal is to see every sales person learn how to sell with integrity and empathy as their guides, respecting themselves and their customers. It doesn’t matter whether they sell products business-to-business, professional services, or are trying to build their own entrepreneurial empire.

In spite of the stereotypes that surround it, the job of selling is itself worthy of respect for several reasons. It drives the economy, provides the lifeblood of business, and helps people achieve their goals and solve their problems. It is the only job that creates more jobs. Nothing happens, no one is helped, until something is sold.

For sellers, remind yourself on a daily basis of the value you create with your customers, the knowledge and experience you bring to them, and the commitment you make to provide excellent follow-up and service. Make time in your life for ongoing learning and improvement and treat that time with yourself as though it were an appointment with your most important customer. It is.

Train your customers to treat you with respect as well. You may have been so eager to please them in the past that you jumped through every hoop they offered no matter how high.

You may have been taught that the customer is always right. Well, they’re not. Some customers treat their vendors rudely and take advantage of their desire to be helpful by making requests that go beyond what makes good business sense for the vendor.

Learn how to say no to unreasonable requests and how to ask for what you need, whether it’s an introduction to another executive, a reference, or a deeper understanding of the internal processes and politics. Don’t allow them to abuse your time or resources and be sure you don’t abuse theirs.

Insist on a professional and courteous tone in meetings even when there are conflicts to address. And train your customers in the art of Quid Pro Quo: Get something before you give something. You are a knowledgeable professional just as they are and you deserve respect, but it begins by respecting yourself.

~

Editor: Brianna Bemel

 

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Sharon Parker successfully sold high-tech products and services for 25 years. Her book, Selling with Soul: Achieving Career Success without Sacrificing Personal and Spiritual Growth, was re-released as a second edition with new content and updated material in January 2012. The book counters the negative notions of selling and explains how selling is an honorable profession that creates value for us all when it is done with empathy for the customer and a firm commitment to integrity. She donates all the profits from the book to educational scholarships for women and minority students. / As Founder and Principle Consultant of Sparker, The Coaching Company, she provides training for sales people and sales managers using the CustomerCentric Selling® methodology. As a licensed facilitator with Corporate Coach U, she teaches coaching clinics to front-line managers and team leaders and offers individual and small group coaching to help people achieve their personal best. For more information, contact Sharon@sparkercoaching.com or visit the website: sparkercoaching.com.