In my first sales job, I had a sales leader whom many described as having the capability to sell ice to Eskimos. I left that job because I found that what I was selling was not of any benefit to the potential customers especially if their jurisdiction was just Singapore. Now, I am in my second sales job and I am find myself better selling a refrigerator to Eskimos as opposed to just selling them ice.
Selling refrigerators to Eskimos is almost akin to selling them a solution as opposed to selling ice - a product.
Refrigerators would be a good solution to Eskimos because given the current climate changes, you need to preserve and store food at a regulated temperature instead of depending on the unpredictable moods swings of Mother Nature.
With a refrigerator, Eskimos get to keep some of their perishables frozen or if they choose, just at a cooler temperature but somehow higher than the freezing point.
The refrigerator will allow Eskimos to drink chilled water rather than frozen water, if the need to stay chill crops up.
There are also opportunities to upsell with a refrigerator. Maybe isolated igloos would need to have power generators and these allow for bundling opportunities. Power generators also need fuel on a regular basis and this could mean constant revenue.
In my current job, I get excited selling a solution as opposed to a product. I want to ensure that my customer gets the most out of what they bought and the fact that it is helping them with their daily operations.
This solution I am selling is very similar to a refrigerator. More than often, the customer, when they don't have it, will tell me they don't need. But after they used it, it struck them why didn't they get it earlier.
I also like to challenge my customer to let me help them with their IT processes. Automation helps to improve productivity and given today's manpower crunch, if automation can help reduce five minutes of work, it is money well spent.
Challenge me to sell you a refrigerator the next time we meet.
Comments