Think you are misunderstood as a contractor? Well, salespeople are some of the most misunderstood and disliked people on earth.
With all the talk of a recession and many contractors struggling a little harder than normal, now seems like a good time to talk about selling — that mysterious trade that some contractors love and others despise. Think you are misunderstood as a contractor? Well, salespeople are some of the most misunderstood and disliked people on earth. Recently, I was conducting a sales program in Canada and a national survey came out which said that politicians were the most mistrusted people in Canada. Salespeople were number two.
Let’s start with a definition of selling that I have found particularly useful when speaking to contractors: Selling is communicating your trade and profession to the customer. Notice that I didn’t use the words coerce, cheat, force, push or swindle. Communication is the key. It is not your customer’s responsibility to understand the difference between you and the competition. It is your responsibility to clearly communicate your trade, what your company has to offer, and the kind of work you do.