How many times has your sales team heard the magical phrase, “Have you worked with anyone like us/in our industry?”
Is there validity to this question? Sure… however, everyone knows this isn’t the real question. The deep rooted question is, “Do you understand the subtle nuances of our world, and do you understand our situation?”
Take a typical day at Lushin: Any one of us are helping clients that range from software to professional services to machinery to insurance to marketing to residential remodel to logistics to HR services to landscaping to banking to orthopedics…and the list goes on.
It takes transferable skills to be able to help clients in various industries, and it is about how fast you can be ramped up to accelerate the new relationship. The same organizations that ask if you have worked with anyone in their industry hire people every day who don’t come from their industry. Why? Because they are talented and bring a ton of value to the table, and the organization understands they will learn the industry.
Selling is no different.
Some clients have this self-limiting belief; most likely they were burned in the past.
Help them realize they hire people every day who don’t come from their industry. Help them realize you understand their situation. Help them realize you do have the transferable skills to help them succeed. That is the key to having a fruitful relationship.
