“Every single day I wake up and commit myself to becoming a better player.”
-Mia Hamm, American Soccer Star

Salespeople often fall into the trap of selling from desperation. They have quotas to meet, inventory to unload, commissions to earn. They find themselves up against a wall, sometimes willing to do almost anything to make a sale. They will offer discounts, they will cajole and almost beg for sales in order to make their numbers.

This is never a winning game. Clients can sense when you are selling from scarcity, and they will not think the better of you for it. Indeed, it’s tough to stay in the game when you are consistently worried about making sales.

At Possibilities Unlimited, we train people to sell from their sales assets. Sales Assets are your points of strength, thing both you and your company can offer that should sway the client’s decision to buy from you. It’s important for salespeople to get a clear understanding of what their company’s assets are.

We recently worked with a company that has higher prices and less favorable shipping terms than most of their competition. The sales team decided to align themselves on what they saw as the company’s strength – its fiscal responsibility. Looking from the vantage point of fiscal responsibility, the team was able to develop a collection of sales assets that gave them solid ground upon which to stand. Here’s just a few of the ideas they came up with:

Consistent access to a wide selection of inventory.

Staying power – the company will be there to support client needs.

Quality service and knowledgeable staff.

A shared commitment to the company’s vision and viability.

When a client can see the value of the company and the product or service, they are much more likely to buy. People want value more than they want bargains, they want to be sure they are spending their money wisely.

Make a list of your sales assets. Think about yourself as well as your company. Do you have valuable experience? A top notch quality assurance program? A well-made product? Sell from your list of sales assets and work on communicating you value. When you sell from value instead of desperation, you are playing a winning game.