Key Characteristics of a Successful Safety Sales Pro Always be Prepared Pardon us while we appropriate the Boy Scout motto. However, their message is most appropriate for sales professionals as well, particularly sales pros in the safety market. Studies show that the most successful sales professionals plan everything. They plan what they’re going to do today, tomorrow, next week, and even, next year. They plan what they wear. They plan what they say. They plan how they say it. So, what’s the advantage of so much planning? Most surprises can be eliminated before they have a chance to kill the deal.
Demonstrate a Clear Need for Safety According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 2.2 million American workers suffer work related injuries each year. According to Prevent Blindness America, 100,000 of those injuries result in temporary or permanent vision loss. Despite such staggering statistics, 40% of America’s workforce is still not using eye protection. Some managers believe that safety is good place to cut costs. Other executives believe that they’ll simply beat the odds. Try to attach a quantitative value to injuries. Eye injuries cost companies $3,600 in lost production time, medical expenses, and worker’s compensation. That’s $360 million per year, spent on eye injuries alone.
Listen Carefully Studies show that the average person spends more than a third of the time listening. Unfortunately, those same studies also show that most people don’t listen very well. In fact, people retain only about half of what they actually hear. The best salespeople deviate from that standard. According to the journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, “Top salespeople have long known that superior selling isless talking and more asking.” The best safety salespeople actively listen for clues about the prospect’s needs, the people involved in the decision process, and other factors that will affect the purchase decision.
Sell to the Right Person Selling to the wrong person is one of the most common mistakes made by inexperienced salespeople in safety. Just because someone has the “right title,” doesn’t mean they have the authority to purchase your particular product. In fact, when it comes to safety products, the final decision maker is almost never the same person from place to place. Asking the right questions, and actively listening for those answers, will go a long way toward finding that elusive purchaser. At some companies, the decision-making for safety products falls all the way to the people who wear them. After all, if the employees like them, they’ll use them.
Sell Value, Not Price Your customers are buying more than ‘just’ a safety product. They are buying protection,fewer injuries, and lower operational costs. However, in order to receive these long-term benefits, companies must spend more in the short-term and find the appropriate safety product. Safety products don’t provide protection if employees don’t wear them. They don’t provide protection if they’re used to solve unintended problems. Safety glasses that were designed in the 70’s may come cheap, but they don’t do much sitting on a factory shelf. When it comes to safety products, the old adage is absolutely true. You get what you pay for.
Never Stop Selling According to the American Marketing Association, it costs nearly three times as much to generate new business as it does to maintain an existing account. With so many safety product alternatives available, the best safety sales professionals find ways to build long-term relationships. They never miss out on a chance to show their appreciation, or develop future business. They mail ‘thank you’ cards. They make ‘thank you’ phones calls. Nowadays, they even send ‘thank you’ e-mails. It’s a sign of respect, consideration, and, most importantly, appreciation. |
