Customers, How Staying Focused On Their Needs Increases Sales

Man, I love to learn! I have always been a constant student. With all these professional interviews from my podcast on relationship marketing, I learn so much and sometimes forget I’m interviewing and become the student.

Consequently, this indeed happens to be one of those that I’m featuring on my blog this week.

Meet Jerome Gafford; he has over 35 years of sales, sales training, and executive leadership development experience. His ‘Cut the fluff, Give you the Stuff’ presentation style will help your organization move from Status Quo to Status GO!! 

Jerome has found that struggling sales organizations suffer from many of the same primary “AILMENTS.”

Much like a doctor, he addresses these ailments and works with the team to:

  • “DIAGNOSE” the symptoms to discover the challenges
  • Develop a “TREATMENT PROGRAM” to correct the issues
  • Provides follow-up to ensure the “PATIENTS” are recovering 

and performing well. 

Since 2007, Jerome has focused his energy and expertise in professional selling, and working with companies looking to get their selling operations off “LIFE SUPPORT.”

He developed, initiated, and worked with the:

  • Center for Professional Selling at the University of North Alabama in 2010 to prepare undergraduate students for careers in professional selling. 

Since 2017, he has worked with the Sales program at the University of Texas in Dallas to develop world-class sales talent for the 21st Century. 

Learn how, through his involvement as a sales professor in higher education, he has developed and delivered numerous educational programs. Programs that train and empower salespeople and sales leaders at all levels of skill and expertise in the sales industry…

Customers and Sales Team Performance

Interestingly enough, this blog is about relationship marketing in today’s day and age.

Throughout the sales and marketing process, relationships are created. Customer relations are more important now than ever been before during the sales process.

One thing I’ve found to be congruent with most all of the professionals I interview about the sales process is the difference between:

  1. Presentation sales, and
  2. Assessment in sales

Presentation Sales Versus Assessment Sales

Understandably, in a presentation sale, customers sit through a presentation that might involve a sales deck and closing tactics that help them overcome objections during the presentation. This type of sale has been around for years, and that methodology no longer works in today’s world.

Therefore, sales have evolved into assessment sales. Assessment sales are where the salesperson assesses the needs and desires of the customer and addresses only that.

First off, Jerome shares that sales teams and customer insight have not changed much over the years and that there are three groups of sales performers:

  1. High – High performers never lose focus on the customers’ needs. They keep focus by letting go of their own needs of getting a sale.
  2. Middle – Middle performers make up 60% of a sales team, meaning some perform well while others struggle a bit.
  3. Lower – Lower performers struggle with taking the focus off of themselves.

Quite simply by:

  1. Creating value
  2. Understanding the buyer
  3. Building the sale

off of the needs of the customer will organically increase sales.

So remember folks, take the focus off the sell and assess the needs of the customer, and you’ll find greater success and increased sales naturally.

Also, don’t forget to watch the interview above to educate yourself and become a student to grow your skills daily.

Reach out to me with any questions or comments below; I’d love to hear from you!

Take Care,

Kody B.