Sales Enablement: People Buy from People
Craig Nelson, CEO, iCentera

Here’s a story from my past that I’d like to share. A gentleman by the name of Len D’Innocenzo said something to me once that has stayed with me over the years.  At dinner, we were discussing what it took to effectively sell in any market, good or bad.  After a big Italian meal, Len says, “Craig, it’s this simple — people buy from people.”  My response was. “That’s it?”  With all the sales methodologies and techniques, positioning and presentation skills, negotiation skills, and other sales disciplines that Len promotes as part of his firm’s sales training, the bottom line is that… people buy from people? 

But, given Len’s deep experience in the world of sales, I knew I had to stop and think about what he was saying.  Len had real-world background, he had sold for many years carrying a quota, had managed sales, and had then launched a successful sales training firm.  He went on to say that, in his long career, there was one truth:  if the buyer doesn’t trust the seller and doesn’t believe that the seller is credible or adds value to the selling process, the buyer will not buy from that seller.

Len also pointed out that the second most important thing to a buyer is the credibility of the company that the sales person represents.  My response was, “Well, that’s interesting, but you still haven’t mentioned anything about the product.”  Len said with a big smile, “Actually, the product is a distant third in importance to the buyer during the sales cycle.”  He repeated those words — that, from a buyer’s perspective:

            •           People buy from people

            •           Then they buy the company

            •           Then they buy the product

That conversation with Len took place more than 10 years ago, and I think it’s fair to say that, in these times, Len’s wisdom is truer than ever.   Most markets today are very competitive, and the threat of being outsold by a more credible and better informed sales rep that adds value to the sale is a very real possibility.  Given today’s tight budgets, a “no” decision results in many deals staying hung up in the sales funnel.  Accelerating new business now requires a well informed sales channel.  Today, information really is power. 

If you don’t buy in to this point, stop and think about how well informed today’s buyers are because of the research they do on the Internet before they even connect with your sales channel.

Want to impress Len?  Call your customer 3-5 minutes prior to the meeting start time, and be prepared to start the discussion with your insight on the market as it pertains to the customer’s needs.  At the end of the call, clearly differentiate from the competition, expand on the merits of doing business with you and your company, and then confirm your product’s value proposition based on the customer’s needs.  And the key?  Do this every day of your selling career.  

If you are in marketing or a product management role, be sure that you have packaged the marketing material and supporting knowledge in a way that can be easily consumed and understood — then track it, measure it, to see if it makes a difference.  If the marketing material doesn’t help to advance the sale, retire it.  If it does, keep it current.  In the end, if the proper knowledge transfer from marketing and PM to sales, and then from sales to your customers daily, you will dramatically improve your sales channel’s ability to add value to the customer’s buying decision. 

And if you agree with Len, which I do, this will happen with your own vendors as well.  If a sales person adds value to your day, you will most likely call that person back and, in turn, begin to build a lasting relationship. 

No question: people do buy from people. It is that simple.