Do you have a winning sales philosophy?

A philosophy that guides you as you and your employees pursue more work for your company?

A philosophy that sets parameters on what you will and will not do to secure that next job?

A philosophy that helps motivate you each and every day?

I’m talking about this definition of philosophy:

a: the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group

Beliefs, concepts and attitudes have intrinsic value to those who hold them and exert a powerful pull on a person’s actions.

I’m not talking about your company’s canned mission statement and certainly not the contracts, margins, accounting software, staffing or mobilizing issues on which so many in our business concentrate their attention.

A winning sales philosophy comes way before you will need to consider those factors for success.

A winning philosophy is foundational to a company’s long term success and therefore provides the stability needed to make sales, provide winning customer service and keep your customers and your best employees.

Here’s an all too common example:

A few years ago, I knew some employees who worked for a company without a clearly defined sales philosophy, they just wanted work, any kind of work, the more work the better.

Their salespeople’s marching orders were a simple:
“Just bring it ( work ) in and we’ll deal with it.”

The company’s focus was firmly on the numbers, the bottom line, logistics, processes and procedures…the left brained stuff. And more and more frequently they looked right past the customer and their emotional needs…right brained stuff.

Soon customers, lots of customers, began to leave and look for what they needed elsewhere.

In a staff meeting an exasperated CEO complained that: “It isn’t good enough that we are on schedule and within budget, now our customers want to enjoy the process!”

The salespeople, who were selling without an established company sales philosophy, were selling what the customer’s were asking for: understanding, value, attention, trust, service.

They understood the basic tenant of sales was…

“Customers buy for their reasons, not yours.”
…Orvel Ray Wilson

…and that was their simple Winning Sales Philosophy.

The gap between no company sales philosophy and the philosophy that guided the salespeople caused a fatal disconnect that drove clients to competitors and gave them the squandered financial rewards.

Companies in the Design and Construction industries would benefit from the development and adherence to a meaningful and executable sales philosophy ASAP.

As the old saying goes:

“A sale is not something you pursue, it is something that happens to you while you are immersed in serving your customer.”


….and you can take that to the bank.