| A "role" is defined as the characteristic and expected | | | | you do not have enough information to accomplish this, |
| social behavior of an individual. We all play many roles | | | | you will leverage your Communicator Role to attain it. |
| in life, such as parent or salesperson, and it is not | | | | You will work diligently to ensure there that your |
| difficult to see how this sense of the word role is | | | | prospective buyer has a clear understanding of your |
| related to its meaning in theater, where a "role" was | | | | solution, a clear characteristic and feature message |
| played by a character.All of these factors have a | | | | that the understand, and a clear understanding of a |
| significant negative impact on self esteem, professional | | | | distinctive set of core benefits that you will (hopefully) |
| self image and consequently resilience in the face of | | | | leverage with your Catalyst Role (the next role) into a |
| adversity. In short, without a clear definition of the roles | | | | sale.Pre-Sale Expectations:Before the sale occurs, you |
| you are to play, the amount of work you are to | | | | will be extremely focused on what the buyer wants |
| perform and how these roles intertwine, you may end | | | | and needs and you will work diligently to consider your |
| up like the other thousands of salespeople a year who | | | | own company's strengths and weaknesses as well as |
| do not make it in the profession. I will now define | | | | the strengths and weaknesses of the competition in |
| professional selling roles and what is generally | | | | an attempt to understand a gap your company might |
| expected in each.THE SEVEN ROLES OF HIGHLY | | | | be able to fill. You will gather enough information to |
| COMPETENT SALESPEOPLE ARE: | | | | clearly, succinctly, and precisely understand the value |
| | | | your company will provide to the targeted segment of |
| | | | the market you identified with your Planner Role.To |
| "The Strategic Planner" | | | | determine needs and set expectations, you will actively |
| "The Client-Focused Positioner" | | | | seek out buying decision-makers and engage them in |
| "The Persuasive Communicator" | | | | a way that synchronizes with their decision-making |
| "The Focused Catalyst" | | | | process. You will work with them to understand how |
| "The Concerted Facilitator" | | | | your company's solution is different than others in the |
| "The Effective Manager" | | | | marketplace while maintaining the flexibility to come up |
| "The Value-Driven Guardian" | | | | with new ideas or solutions if necessary (and |
| | | | attainable by your company). You will build a strategy |
| These roles are created by understanding the phases | | | | that identifies a target market or prospect and then |
| of building customer satisfaction and loyalty (as outlined | | | | uniquely tailor an approach that maximizes your |
| by the United Professional Sales Association). Their | | | | chance of success in creating a sales dialogue. To do |
| model focuses on the entire transaction experience of | | | | this, you will develop "differentiators" (i.e. guaranteed |
| a buyer, from initial needs identification, through | | | | aggressive response times, preferential rates on all |
| decision-making, selection, and purchasing. More | | | | goods and services, dedicated account and support |
| importantly, this transaction experience continues past | | | | personnel, escalation lists, access to the consulting |
| the purchase into implementation -- and beyond into | | | | firm's senior management for problem resolution, etc)If |
| measuring the quality and return-on-investment of the | | | | your company does not have a unique benefit or if |
| solution.In this article, I will explain the second role in | | | | your company sells commodities (paper, printing, office |
| greater detail (please see my other articles for in depth | | | | supplies, consumables, etc); you are required to |
| explanations of the other roles.)ROLE 2: "THE | | | | differentiate your company through your own personal |
| CLIENT-FOCUSED POSITIONER" Primary Focus of | | | | interactions with buyers - your personal |
| This Role:The primary focus of this role is to distinguish | | | | positioning.Post-Sale Expectations:After the sale |
| yourself and your company in a buying environment | | | | occurs, you will work to identify new opportunities by |
| where buyers have large amounts of choice, | | | | re-positioning or re-packaging new solutions to meet |
| information, and power. You will not only seek to | | | | new needs that your Facilitator and Catalyst Roles |
| understand your position in your prospect's minds, but | | | | uncover.Required Traits of This Role:You will be asked |
| work diligently to ensure you stay truly-focused on | | | | to be emotionally strong, customer-focused, creative, |
| understanding your prospect or client.General | | | | market oriented, strategic, conscientious, and curious in |
| Expectations:In this role, you will build on the work of | | | | this role. You must also have the ability to improvise |
| your Planner Role. You must gather enough customer, | | | | and take abstract ideas and make them |
| market, and business data to support your Positioner | | | | "concrete."--------------------------------ABOUT BRIAN |
| Role (the next role). You will take the more generalized | | | | LAMBERT--------------------------------------Brian is the |
| information from the previous Planner Role and | | | | Chairman and Founder of the the United Professional |
| leverage it to find out what is important to a specific | | | | Sales Association (UPSA). UPSA is a non-profit |
| and unique buyer. Because consumers perceive | | | | organization headquartered in Washington DC that has |
| solutions as becoming more and more similar over | | | | addressed the concerns and challenges of individual |
| time, you must develop an approach that protects | | | | sales professionals. Brian has authored the world's first |
| your solution from becoming a commodity if possible | | | | universal selling standards and open-source selling |
| (a commodity is a product or service that is | | | | framework for free distribution. This 'Compendium of |
| differentiated only on price). To do this, you must learn | | | | Professional Selling' containing the commonly accepted |
| to create an approach that will resonate with the | | | | and universally functional knowledge that all sales |
| buyer -- based on unique benefits as perceived by the | | | | professionals possess. The open-source selling |
| specific buyer.You will have to ensure that marketing | | | | standards have been downloaded in 16 countries by |
| and selling messages do not conflict with that | | | | over 300 people. Over 30 people have made |
| "uniqueness." To achieve this, you will focus on | | | | contributions.Because UPSA is not owned by one |
| gathering as much knowledge as possible from your | | | | person or any company, it is a member organization |
| Planner role and refine that knowledge into a | | | | and guardian of the global standard of entry into the |
| customized initial approach for the unique prospect. If | | | | sales profession. |