RISMEDIA, March 16, 2012–Atlanta entrepreneurial expert Clifford Oxford spoke to a packed house about the topic with which he is most familiar–sales success–at a limited-invitation seminar March 12.
Oxford’s credits include saving UPS $250 million and founding STI Knowledge and Entrepreneurial Advisors. Coldwell Banker High Country Realty’s June Slusser, who introduced Oxford, said that, at one time, 87 percent of Fortune 1000 companies were STI-certified.
“Sales is leadership…Leadership creates demand…Leadership is trust,” stated Oxford.
He added that five critical actions determine sales success.
1. Declare market leadership.
2. Set standards and practices.
3. Know and serve the customer.
4. Make it easy to do business.
5. Innovate and dictate.
Part of declaring market leadership is finding or developing a niche and taking ownership, he said.
“When you declare leadership, I want you to find one word to describe your market segment,” he noted.
Oxford declared that customers want only three things in a sales transaction: They want the product to be delivered in a timely manner, they want it to be defect-free, and they want the relationship to be caring.
An industry–and a salesperson–must consider customers’ wants in establishing standards and best practices, he remarked. He emphasized that sales is not persuading people they need or want something, but providing solutions and vision.
“For example, I am not here selling stick houses; I am selling people a better life,” Oxford said.
“Vision attracts talent,” he said. And those qualities make it possible for a business to innovate, then dictate to the market, he added.
W. Cliff Oxford, CEO of Enterpreneurial Advisors, was brought to Blue Ridge by Coldwell Banker High Country Realty. Coldwell Banker High Country Realty has been a leader in serving North Georgia, Southeast Tennessee, and Southwest North Carolina for over 25 years.
