I've been asked by Charles H. Green of Trust Matters to host the April 2010 edition of The Carnival of Trust. I appreciate the invitation and the opportunity. Thank you Charles, and thanks also to Ian Welsh for his help with the project.
As a sales trainer and management consultant, I believe trust is at the very core of productive sales relationships, whether those relationships are ongoing, long-term relationships (as in the relationship between an insurance agents and her accounts), or very short-term (as in the relationship between a one-call sales sales representative and his prospects).
I've selected eleven articles for the April 2010 Carnival of Trust. There's some fantastic reading here, so let's get going:
1. To Sell is to Serve by Mike Plumstead at The Marketing Corner.
Mike asks by asking a question: "When was the last time you saw a movie praising the sale profession?" Mike suggests that sellers be an honest advocate for both the company that employs them and the customer. What a novel idea!
2. What Do You Sell? A Lesson In Personal Branding by S. Anthony Iannarino on The Sales Blog
Anthony uses the Tiger Woods situation to discuss personal branding. He talks about the importance of staying true to your brand promise. This is a great read.
3. Marketing Strategy: For God's Sake, Sell Ethically by an "unnamed ex sales guy" on Tony Vi.
The author suggests that, instead of "buyer beware," sellers would be wise to practice "seller beware." He calls for banks and other entities to restructure their selling policies for the sake of long-term sales growth over short-term gains.
4. Profits, Ethics, and Trust by Vineet Nayar at The Harvard Business Review.
Although this post is over one year old, I wanted to include it in this month's Carnival of Trust because Nayar talks about something near and dear to me: "In addition to what a company does, it is equally important to focus on how it does it."
5. The Cultural Commandments: Germany by Richard D. Lewis at Cross Culture
Lewis takes a look at what he calls "Traditional German Culture" and should be helpful for those selling in Germany. He talks about Germans seeing themselves as being direct and honest, which requires directness and honesty from anybody dealing with them.
6. Articulating Value - Trust, Integrity, Commitment and Love in Business at Sales Training Drivers
This is a bold article that dares to suggest that love be a part of selling to customers. I love it!
7. Is it Better to Be Truthful or Interesting? by Ian Brodie at The Selling Professional Services Blog
Ian tells the story of how he disagreed with an online contact about the value (or lack of value) of Twitter as a business generation tool. Read the story, but Ian concludes "It's better to be truthful." And, it helps him sleep at night. Three cheers for sleep!
8. Touch Me by Vaughan Bell at Mind Hacks
I love psychology. And this is an article about a study that looks at the emotional significance of brief physical touches from another human being. In my sales training seminars, I frequently say "We are human beings selling to human beings, so let's be more human." Touch is human.
9. The Habitual Consumer by Steve Martin at Inside Influence Report
Read about the study that gave stale popcorn to cinema customers. Some at less than normal, but some ate just as much stale popcorn as they do when the popcorn is fresh and hot. How does this influence organizational and business leaders seeking to promote change within their organizations?
10. The World's Greatest Salesperson! by David Brock at the Partners in Excellence Blog
David writes about OgilvyOne's contest to find "The World's Greatest" salesperson. The contest has some individuals upset. There's been a lot of discussion in the sales community about this contest. This contest has promoted conversation about what selling really is and what it isn't. It's a healthy discussion we need to have. Read David's article then add your thoughts to the comments section. The comments are fascinating, too.
And finally, one more. But before the next article, I want to thank everyone for submitting posts to this month's Carnival of Trust. There were many great submissions and I enjoyed reading all of them.
11. Speed, Trust, and the ROI of Relationships by Liz Strauss at the 1to1 Blog
Strauss knows relationships. She's one of the relationship gurus of our time. How do relationships effect a company's bottom line?
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post (or don't) please leave a comment.Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training.
He works with companies that sell to consumers in
all B2C sectors to increase sales by realizing the buying potential of
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