Proverbs 20:15

Proverbs 20:15

"Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel."

Christian Based Selling:

As Christians we must prefer knowledge of the word over the riches of this earth.  We all know there are self serving sales people who only want the sale and don't care about how things work out for the customer.  "Gold there is, and rubies in abundance."  Hey, those who work hard, have mastered selling  techniques and are willing to lie can be tough to beat!   They are the ones who give our profession a bad name.  

As Christian Sales Professionals, we need to succeed too!  When we are successful in our work we are paid handsomely.  Gold and rubies are not evil unless we allow that to become all we care about.  We instead need to take a service minded approach by being the rare voice that offers knowledge to our prospective clients.  This will differentiate us from the pack and help us to consistently develop trusted relationships that turn into clients and a powerful referral network.  

In terms of knowledge, it is a given that we need to be informed on our solution so we can differentiate from the competition.  We also need to do our homework on our prospective client's business before any meeting (current news, financial reports for public companies).  This is the minimum that will differentiate you from many of your competitors.  

To be that "rare jewel" you need to share knowledge that serves the client--not you!  For example, perhaps you have noticed mistakes that are commonly made by companies when addressing a particular challenge and can provide guidance on how to avoid these pitfalls.  This guidance should be of value to your prospective client without the purchase of your solution.   

The next level up is sharing knowledge that adds value to your prospective client as an individual.  Perhaps in doing your homework for an upcoming meeting with a new contact you discover he was just recently promoted into the executive role.  In your meeting you will congratulate him on the promotion and could mention that you just read a great book on leadership.  You then share one or two of the key takeaways.  If your contact expresses enthusiasm for the concepts send the book with a follow up note that includes the page numbers where he can find those concepts.  

When you share knowledge you separate yourself from the stereotypical perception of the self serving sales opportunist and begin to build a trusted relationship.  At a minimum, your contact will be more open to meeting with you again because you offer value in the form of "knowledge."   Be warned, you will not win the business on this relationship alone.  You still need to run your sales process but it will help tip the scale in your favor in a tight race.  

How do you go about acquiring knowledge you can share with clients?  What is the best way to deliver those insights?  What books are you sharing with your prospective clients?



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