COLLABORATIVE SELLING For Network Marketing

What do the following terms have in common: product representative, marketing consultant, and account executive? These are alternate titles for the word "salesperson ". If salespeople are among the highest paid professionals in our society, what is the reason many prefer to use alternate titles?

We can separate Traditional Selling from Collaborative Selling through three words: pressure, tension, manipulation. The focus of traditional selling is a contest of wits between the salesperson and the prospective customer. If the sale is made, the seller wins. If the sale is lost, the buyer wins. It's like the traditional selling axiom, "A sale is made every time a salesperson and prospect get together. Either the salesperson sold his story, or the prospect sold his".

Selling doesn't have to be this way... Selling can be based on honesty, openness, and being genuine. The sales process can be non-manipulative, non-exploitative, and non-threatening. When selling is positive instead of negative, the results are positive. Some of those results are positive images about our profession and us.

Collaborative selling avoids the unhealthy, tension-laden sales environment. It isn't a new bag of tricks or surefire gimmicks. It's a fresh approach, which utilizes skills taken from psychology, counseling, consulting, management, negotiating, and marketing. These positive, communication techniques have been adapted to the selling profession according to the concept that "it is neither productive nor healthy to attempt to manipulate, dominate, and control others ".

Collaborative selling allows clients to feel they have "bought", not been "sold". Clients can operate from an open position of trust because salespeople avoid exploitation. Salespeople can be viewed as experts and allies rather than adversaries. The client perceives the salesperson as honest, even if it means sacrificing the sale at present. The end results are: increased sales, increased client loyalty, and a positive self-image of the salesperson and the profession.

Applying the principles of Collaborative Selling results in higher levels of respect, belief, and trust; and lower levels of tension, defensiveness, communication barriers, objections, manipulation, and control. How do we actually practice Collaborative Selling, and specifically how does is work in multi-level marketing?

Most sales transactions move through similar steps or sales processes: information gathering, presentation, commitment, and follow-through. What happens during each process or step, and the time spent, defines the differences between the traditional approach and the collaborative approach. The amount of time and effort is illustrated in the following figure:

THE SELLING PROCESS

A COMPARISON

INFORMATION GATHERING
During the information-gathering process, the salesperson and client attempt to discover if there is something the client needs or wants which the salesperson can provide. This is done through communication taking place between the salesperson and prospective client.

In multi-level marketing, it's necessary to not only discover how interested a prospective participant is but also the motivation behind that interest. Are prospective clients aware of the hard work involved, or are they just looking at blue sky? How much time can be invested initially? How much time can be invested later? Do they have any sales experience? What people will they want to get involved? Do they have a success plan? Are they willing to put forth the effort necessary to succeed? As an exercise, think of ten questions you would ask of a prospective client. Then, thinking of yourself when you first became involved in multi-level marketing, prioritize the importance of your answers.

In collaborative selling, more effort is expended defining client needs during this phase of the sales process than any other. In any form of consultative selling, the client's needs, problems, and buying criteria must be clearly defined. Without this definition, it is difficult to effectively solve problems or satisfy needs. With accuracy, the sale can evolve from a solid foundation of information.

PRESENTATION
In order to be effective, the collaborative presentation process requires individualization, and participation on the part of the salesperson and the client. The presentation is limited to aspects that are relevant and important to the client. In this way, the presentation is appropriate and effective. The canned pitch won't work in collaborative selling because each presentation must be unique to each client. Every client has unique circumstances, unique wants and needs, unique concerns. The individualized presentation tells the client that the salesperson is organized, polished, and on her or his wavelength. Finally, during the presentation the client is asked what value particular features have. This approach encourages the client to talk and participate. If we actively listen to our clients, we will accurately know our clients' reactions throughout the entire sales process.

COMMITMENT
The commitment process is the focal point for traditional salespeople. This is where they can demonstrate their ability to overcome objections, and close, close, close. In collaborative selling, the commitment is an extension of the previous two processes.

We've defined some priorities during the information gathering process. We've defined an appropriate presentation. If these two processes have been conducted properly, what is the likelihood of a positive result? Is the prospective participant we've been working with likely to now implement the proposed solution? Where is the tension level? Where is the interest level? How much pressure are we going to have to use? Isn't the question one of "when" and not "if"? If the client is saying "no", is it because of a detail in the marketing plan, or the entire plan?

The commitment process in collaborative selling is nothing more than implementing a solution that the client and salesperson have worked at together. The problem was defined in the information gathering stage. The solution was proposed in the presentation stage. The solution is acted upon in the commitment stage. If the client wants to either look elsewhere, or think over the situation, will she or he feel they can come back without being pressured? Is there a high level of trust and rapport between each party? If there is, the likelihood is the end result will be a new participant.

FOLLOW-THROUGH
In multi-level marketing, assuring client satisfaction is a "must". The first step is discovering if the client is succeeding with their marketing strategy. If there are problems, these can be rectified immediately. If there aren't problems, participants know we are interested in them; they are important to us. When we let participants know they're important to us, what is the likelihood of receiving referrals? Word of mouth advertising is the most effective there is.

In collaborative selling, we believe the sale begins when the client says "yes". At this point, the salesperson makes a commitment to the client to service and assist that client throughout the term of their business relationship. The collaborative salesperson spends considerable time and effort-establishing ways to ensure the service promised is the service delivered.

Satisfied clients are the salesperson's greatest assets. They talk about the benefits derived from the salesperson and the product. They often leave others with the impression they too should buy from this salesperson. Just as word of mouth advertising can be a source of further sales, it can also be the source of lost sales. Dissatisfied clients speak just as often, just as loudly as satisfied clients. Collaborative selling depends on long-term, trust bond relationships. This is best accomplished through attentive after sale service.

Correctly used, collaborative selling allows for information gathering in an open, honest atmosphere of trust and helpfulness. The client gains solutions to identified problems or needs. The salesperson gains the support of a client who is fully committed to solving the identified problems. Collaborative selling not only leads to more sales, but it makes people feel better about doing business with you and allows you to feel better about yourself and your profession.

ARTICLE TAGLINE FOR DR. TONY ALESSANDRA

Dr. Tony Alessandra has authored 13 books, recorded over 50 audio and video programs, and delivered over 2,000 keynote speeches since 1976. The ideas in this article, and many others, are adapted from Dr. Alessandra's book, The Sales Professional's Idea-A-Day Guide (Dartnell). If you would like more information about Dr. Alessandra's books, audio tapesets and video programs, or about Dr. Alessandra as a keynote speaker for your group, call (800) 222-4383 or visit his website at http://www.alessandra.com.

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