The Responsibility Hierarchy

In today’s economic climate most sales organizations experience decreasing conversion ratios, fewer new logos, and diminished client retention. We all have seen the solutions on how to sell in an economic downturn and I am the first to encourage you to learn from these chronicled accounts of sales strategies, we can never have too much intellectual artillery with respect to success. Think of the objections that we have heard over the last twelve months, now position yourself as the business owner, would you buy your product/service from you? Why or why not? In the evolution of sales, we have gone from ABC | Effectively Overcoming Objections | Need Based Selling | Consultative Selling | to Decision Facilitation. We have gone from aggressively selling by telling to guiding our prospect to discover that they can’t live without our product/service. Some thought leaders believe that the newer developed strategies are more effective, although older tactics may offer intermittent success.

My grandfather, who frequently spoke in parables, once told me that ‘Things are never as bad as they seem, and they are absolutely not as good’. When someone asked him how he was doing he often responded ‘Trying to keep it in the middle of the road’. As it relates to Sales, particularly in these economic conditions, the least affected are those who don’t have to alter their selling system(s) as much. Many organizations panic in these times, scrambling for creative ways to maintain. They usually increase existing ineffective activity in an attempt to replace revenue. Unfortunately, this recipe routinely sacrifices quality of product/service and degrades relationships. Business people who are able to sustain market share and grow revenue during these times have consistently obeyed the ‘Responsibility Hierarchy’:

1. Do what is best for your client.
2. Do what is best for your company.
3. Do what is best for you.......In that order!

I know it sounds simple, but it’s true. With all of the dissolved companies and jobs lost, imagine being able to walk into your clients’ offices with warm receipt and transactional willingness. For us to be able to enjoy this luxury we must have first earned a few prerequisites:

* Trust- The belief that you are doing what is in your client’s best interest
* Credibility- You undoubtedly know what you are doing
* Value- Your client perceives merit in you and your product/service
* Understanding- You and your client have common goals and direction

These attributes are only proven with time, reliability, and a ‘Responsibility Hierarchy’. Things are never as bad as they seem, and they are absolutely not as good. Keep it in the middle of the road and Great Selling!

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