| A "role" is defined as the characteristic and | | | | through effectively managing appropriate |
| expected social behavior of an individual. We | | | | messages and communication channels |
| all play many roles in life, such as parent | | | | internally as well as managing your own |
| or salesperson, and it is not difficult to | | | | internal positive dialogue and positive |
| see how this sense of the word role is | | | | "self-talk".You will project first |
| related to its meaning in theater, where a | | | | impressions that last and use energy and |
| "role" was played by a character.All of these | | | | impact to create lasting impressions. You |
| factors have a significant negative impact on | | | | will conduct audience analysis and present to |
| self esteem, professional self image and | | | | them based on appropriate learning style, |
| consequently resilience in the face of | | | | cultural, economic, and gender differences. |
| adversity. In short, without a clear | | | | You will understand the ways in which these |
| definition of the roles you are to play, the | | | | differences influence communication |
| amount of work you are to perform and how | | | | expectations and behavior, including the |
| these roles intertwine, you may end up like | | | | length of time it takes to establish business |
| the other thousands of salespeople a year who | | | | and personal relationships, differences in |
| do not make it in the profession. I will now | | | | the conception of time itself, differences in |
| define professional selling roles and what is | | | | nonverbal communication, and differences in |
| generally expected in each.THE SEVEN ROLES OF | | | | perceptions as they are influenced by |
| HIGHLY COMPETENT SALESPEOPLE ARE: | | | | language and culture. You will also be asked |
| | | | to effectively deal with different |
| | | | personality types in constantly changing |
| | | | customer environments.You will select the |
| | | | appropriate words and terminology for the |
| | | | correct audience so you do not speak "over |
| "The Strategic Planner" | | | | their head" or in a manner that does not |
| | | | translate to their specific organizational |
| "The Client-Focused Positioner" | | | | status or decision making impact. You will |
| | | | speak clearly, succinctly and professionally |
| "The Persuasive Communicator" | | | | in person and on the phone. You will |
| | | | facilitate communication between large |
| "The Focused Catalyst" | | | | accounts where your message may (or may not) |
| | | | be given without you as well as with |
| "The Concerted Facilitator" | | | | individuals where you will have the ability |
| | | | to uniquely tailor your approach and style. |
| "The Effective Manager" | | | | You must have an understanding of individual |
| | | | customer behavior and how your own behavior |
| "The Value-Driven Guardian" | | | | affects customer relationships. You must be |
| | | | aware of the non-verbal behavior displayed by |
| | | | buyers. You will synchronize your |
| | | | communication style to theirs, enabling you |
| These roles are created by understanding the | | | | to ensure no incomprehension or |
| phases of building customer satisfaction and | | | | misunderstanding. You will effectively use |
| loyalty (as outlined by the United | | | | visual aids, presentations, documentation, |
| Professional Sales Association). Their model | | | | brochures, or other marketing collateral |
| focuses on the entire transaction experience | | | | where appropriate.You will use a variety of |
| of a buyer, from initial needs | | | | means to achieve your communication |
| identification, through decision-making, | | | | objectives (letters, emails, public |
| selection, and purchasing. More importantly, | | | | presentations, one-on-one presentations, |
| this transaction experience continues past | | | | telephone, conference calls, web-seminars, |
| the purchase into implementation -- and | | | | etc). You must have the ability to write |
| beyond into measuring the quality and | | | | written reports, informational memos, or even |
| return-on-investment of the solution.In this | | | | analytical reports as necessary. You must |
| article, I will explain the third role in | | | | have a fundamental knowledge of primary and |
| greater detail (please see my other articles | | | | secondary research, techniques for data |
| for in depth explanations of the other | | | | analysis, and how to give analytical |
| roles.) Primary Focus of This Role:In this | | | | presentations when necessary.You must have |
| role, you are somebody who has a particular | | | | the technical ability to effectively use |
| ability to express thoughts, ideas, and plans | | | | communications tools, whether word |
| effectively and when needed -- persuasively. | | | | processing, page layout and graphic design, |
| Because the volume of communication | | | | Email, video-conferencing, Internet-based |
| constantly increases, the chance of | | | | services, teleconferencing, or multimedia. |
| information overload with buyers also | | | | You will also leverage items like cell |
| increases; therefore you will maintain the | | | | phones, pagers, and email devices (like |
| impact and effectiveness of individual | | | | "Blackberries") to help ensure that you can |
| messages by leveraging new and emerging | | | | communicate from virtually anywhere to |
| strategies for communication as well as | | | | virtually anywhere else at any time. You will |
| seeking the most efficient communication | | | | understand how to effectively communicate via |
| message and channel for delivery (email, | | | | email and the Internet to communicate with |
| phone, voice mail, face-to-face meeting, | | | | prospects and customers as well as internal |
| presentation, etc).General Expectations:You | | | | management and team members. In some |
| will begin to articulate your company's | | | | instances, you may need to troubleshoot or |
| recommendation, approach, response, plan, or | | | | repair technological devices so as to |
| strategy in clear terms. You will need to set | | | | maintain effectiveness.Post-Sale |
| appropriate expectations in an ethical way | | | | Expectations:In this role, you will |
| with the buyer so as to not over-promise your | | | | communicate customer concerns regarding |
| company's capability to deliver. You will | | | | quality, perceptions, and problems back to |
| define and refine an actual buying need | | | | appropriate members of your firm. You will |
| within a client or prospect company and open | | | | also collect competitive intelligence and |
| dialogue with the company to understand if | | | | communicate that back to marketing and |
| your firm's solution(s) can provide a remedy | | | | product development team members. You will |
| - making sure your company can indeed | | | | also leverage political networks inside and |
| deliver.Pre-Sale Expectations:You will draw | | | | outside your organization to help facilitate |
| on your understanding of a variety of fields | | | | necessary changes or decisions.Required |
| such as linguistics, semantics, rhetoric, | | | | Traits of This Role:You will be asked to be |
| psychology, sociology, graphic design, | | | | sociable, well-versed in many different |
| management, marketing, economics, and | | | | subjects, patient, tactful, adaptable, quick, |
| information technology. You will learn to | | | | articulate, poised, gracious, and posess |
| manage communication to achieve specific | | | | humility when appropriate in this |
| short-term objectives, influence | | | | role.-----------------------------------ABOUT |
| communication networks and the communication | | | | BRIAN |
| flow within organizations, while developing | | | | LAMBERT-----------------------------------Bri |
| good interpersonal communication between and | | | | an is the Chairman and Founder of the the |
| among those who work with you. You will build | | | | United Professional Sales Association (UPSA). |
| rapport and trust with those you come into | | | | UPSA is a non-profit organization |
| contact with through open and honest | | | | headquartered in Washington DC that has |
| dialogue. You must have an ability to | | | | addressed the concerns and challenges of |
| understand others and to actively engage in a | | | | individual sales professionals. Brian has |
| way they feel comfortable.To accomplish this | | | | authored the world's first universal selling |
| you must be able to listen effectively and | | | | standards and open-source selling framework |
| ask questions to determine the root cause of | | | | for free distribution. This 'Compendium of |
| an issue as well as to develop a deeper | | | | Professional Selling' containing the commonly |
| understanding of the impact of the issues. | | | | accepted and universally functional knowledge |
| You must have a keen grasp of non-verbal body | | | | that all sales professionals possess. The |
| language while being gracious and | | | | open-source selling standards have been |
| disciplined. You will be asked to focus on | | | | downloaded in 16 countries by over 300 |
| customer needs, rather than on your product | | | | people. Over 30 people have made |
| or service and develop your personal and | | | | contributions.Because UPSA is not owned by |
| organizational credibility while minimizing | | | | one person or any company, it is a member |
| buyer anxiety. You will use this role to | | | | organization and guardian of the global |
| increase self-confidence and reduce burnout | | | | standard of entry into the sales profession. |