It Pays to Hire a Professional
In my work as a professional facilitator here at The Brooks Group, I teach salespeople that the purpose of a professional salesperson is not to make individual sales, but rather to build long-term relationships that will result in repeat business and delighted customers who will cheerfully refer you to people just like themselves who could use your services or products. Recently, I had an experience with a saleswoman who lives and breathes that philosophy.
My wife (Jean) and I just returned from a trip to Hawaii to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. It was a spectacular trip, made possible with the assistance of a remarkable travel agent named Kay Ryan, from Maui Vacation Consultants. “Maui Kay,” as she is affectionately known by her clients, is an Air Force veteran who has lived on the island of Maui for more than 20 years.
Like many other people traveling today, I checked the Internet ahead of time, looking on my own for ‘great deals’ and information about the types of activities we might enjoy. We had been to Maui on our honeymoon in 1985, loved it, and wanted to go back. Back then – before the Internet – we employed the services of a travel agency and never regretted it. Consequently, we decided to seek the services of another travel professional, and we came across Kay Ryan’s website.
Kay understands her products and services inside and out and can explain them to her customers in simple, meaningful terms – a great lesson for any sales professional.
Stop thinking B2B & B2C Sales. Focus on P2P.
No matter how you look at it, people buy from other people.
In sales, the term Business-to-Business refers to transactions between two or more corporate entities (and their employees) interacting in a complex manner to exchange value. These transactions can appear impersonal, highly-technical, and lengthy.
Generally speaking, the term Business-to-Consumer refers to quick sales between a business (or its agents) and individual consumers in simpler interactions.
There is no question that there are differences between selling to a person who approaches a purchasing decision as a consumer and one who approaches on behalf of a business, but let's take a step back.







