[01:17] What is the number one reason people buy? A study on a huge sample size discovered that 38% of the sale is attributable to the salesperson; their behavior, expertise, and ability to provide a solution. [02:09] Talk a little about buying behavior before going further. The customer controls the sale. They’re going to buy or not buy based on a few things. These include the perception of risk to themselves and their organization, and the perception of potential gain to themselves and their organization. [03:29] What is it about a salesperson that makes a buyer want to work with them? The first thing is that they want the salesperson to be personally accountable for the customer’s results. If the purchase order is signed and the salesperson is long gone, that doesn’t go over well. They want you to understand their business. The salesperson should understand the industry, such as logistics, but also the dynamics that are unique to each individual company. Thirdly, the customer wants the salesperson to be on their side. If there are other needs, the salesperson should be willing to go back to their management and make headway. The fourth thing that customers want in a salesperson is for them to bring new things to the organization. It’s about having the mindset of thinking what a good fit for the company could be even if you’re not the one selling it. They want a salesperson who is easily accessible. There should not be any hassle when the customer reaches out to who sold them a product or service. [12:57] What are some more traits that buyers want in a salesperson? They want you to solve their problems. There’s a certain amount of expertise that goes a long with this, such as knowing how all the pieces fit together internally and externally. Number seven is that they want you to be innovative. It’s about being knowledgeable and experienced enough to reach the outcome in a variety of different ways. [17:13] You just gave us seven reasons why buyers want to work with a salesperson. Let’s go through the seven roles, and you can give us a bullet point about each one. The agent: makes sure that the customer gets the result they expect when they buy the product. The CEO: understands the customer in particular and in totality. The advocate/expediter: takes action within the selling organization and the broader world to make sure all the things that need to happen do happen. The consultant: looks at the customer’s business and says, “if I brought something new to that, how would they benefit?” The traveler: makes sure that they are readily available to the customer. The troubleshooter: a resource that helps customers solve problems. The innovator: understands the customer at a deeper level and looks for new ways to help them reach their goals. [19:33] Please put a bow on this topic for us. I’ve always said that sales is leadership. What you’re trying to do is take a customer to a new and better place. Paying attention to these seven traits fit into the four Cs: demonstrating your character, showing that you’re competent, demonstrating that you care, and communicating in a frequent and relevant way.