RESPECT is a model. An overarching model with sub-models inside it, supporting a linear progression of best practices in sales. When sales people learn and apply this model with skill, sensitivity and integrity, they are guaranteed to convert more sales opportunities. They will be more confident, more trusted and they will create long term and loyal clients from customers. They will cross-sell and up-sell and they will become the ultimate “trusted adviser”.

 

Selling with RESPECT is as much about respecting the skilful application of the model, as it is about how we interact with prospective purchasers of products, services and solutions. It is about “doing it properly”. Specifically, it is about executing each step of the model, in the right order, brilliantly, before moving on to the next step. It is about taking a step back in the model when needed, but never jumping forward. It is about taking the prospect on a journey and never letting a gap appear between salesperson and prospect. When selling with RESPECT, we sense a gap appearing, and we stop right there. We go no further forward and quite possibly, we take a step back as we recognise that we have not done a good enough job in the previous step. We close the gap, and then move forward again.

 

Famous author and activist George Bernard Shaw said.. “The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place” and in selling, I see so many sales people not truly communicating. I see them slavishly following a track and not listening to or feeling what is being said, and more importantly, what is not being said by their prospect. 

 

Selling with RESPECT teaches sales people to analyse every tiny detail which takes them closer to making the sale, and equally to focus on every tiny detail which takes them further away from it. Sale or no sale can turn on one or more major mistakes, but more often the sale is won or lost as the result of tiny things which add up as we progress through the sales journey. It focuses on the soft skills which support the main competency headings. Some of these are shown below. I hope you’ll agree that many of them are communication skills rather than pure sales skills - quite intentional!

 

• Creating an excellent first impression

• Constantly building rapport and trust

• Gaining credibility and licence to challenge

• Developing conversational style

• Finely tuned listening and sensing skills

• Social style adjustment

• Summarising relevance and topicality

• Presenting to stated needs with honesty and openness

• Pushing the sale away and achieving "self-close" sales

 

Selling with respect is selling without selling. It's beautiful, it’s respectful and it works!