A unique approach to sales with "Same Side Selling".

“Same Side Selling”, by Jack Quarles and Ian Altman is a book I want to share with people.  It gave me a new way to look at selling.  In the video above I read 3 paragraphs from page 19 which talk about how people often attend conferences with the hope of networking and making a sale.  They rarely attend with the thought of being sold to.  However, if the solution to the attendee’s problem is available at that conference for a price, the attendee would be willing to spend money to solve the problem.

According to the book, people who don’t use the “Same Side Selling” approach are more focused on making sales then on solving a customer’s or client’s problem.  This book asks you to look at the sales transaction like puzzle pieces.  Is the client’s problem (a puzzle piece) a perfect fit for your product or service (your puzzle piece)?  If they are a great fit, then make the sale, both of you benefit.  If it isn’t a great match, then move on and find your ideal clients.  In those cases when you know a solution, other than your own, which is a better match for the client, redirect them to that other solution.  You will put yourself in the role of trusted advisor to that client and they will not forget it.  In the future if there is a fit for one of your products with that client, they will know you aren’t just there for the sale, but there to solve the client’s problem.   That client will also be willing to refer people to you knowing you care more about what’s best for the client then just making the sale.

After reading this book I had a client explain to me some issues she was having working with a client and other vendors supporting that same client.  It seems the vendors didn’t have clear lines drawn for responsibilities.  That topic was brought up in “Same Side Selling” on page 131.  It discussed the importance of understanding the expertise of the buyer and the seller.  In my client’s case, it was with one buyer and 2 sellers (vendors).  By adding some clarifying text to her contract and specifically outlining here responsibilities and what will be needed from other vendors, the buyer was able to document the requirements of other vendors’ before contracts were finalized. With that contract adjustment, the responsibilities were clearly defined and it avoided misunderstandings going forward between the vendors supporting that same client.

I find “Same Side Selling” valuable since it changed the way I look at sales. If you are interested in the book, you can click the link below to purchase it at Amazon where I am an affiliate.

Improve Every Day!
Linda