“It continues to amaze me how relevant Confucius’ sayings are,” says Philip Lund, a New Zealand-born economist turned sales consultant who was educated at Harvard College and the London Business School. “I was searching for different writing styles when I came across ‘The Sayings of Confucius.’ As I read, I realized I was in fact reading a business book.”
From that enlightenment came Lund’s book, “Keynotes for Compelling Sellers,” a collection of tweetable insights that apply the wisdom of Confucius to the world of selling. “His sayings are very much around sorting out your head, getting your act together and operating to the highest standards. We should all agree that these are key messages to the sales professional too.”
On Managing Successful Selling
A seller must be encouraged continually.
He works on his own and lives with problems.
He does not call the office to hear what he has not done.
• The seller must have what he needs to succeed. He must not think he is fighting for the company in the field and against it in the office.
• The seller must know about his competitor what he knows about his products. He must know the answer to the question before it is asked.
• A seller is a team player and knows how he stands in relation to his colleagues with meetings and social interaction. Success must be rewarded.
• The seller must know why customers prefer competitive products even if it means calling to find out. Similarly he must know their services.
• The seller becomes convinced with his product’s benefits through the customers’ response to them. It is a bad product that offers nothing.
• If the seller loses faith he cannot sell. If his product offers no significant benefits to the competitor’s, then it’s time to change sides!
Who keeps within bounds when excellence is of great importance may waver in cases where it is of lesser importance.
Is there one word to keep us on the path to the end of our days? Yes, reciprocity. What you do not wish yourself do not unto others.
