Since you might still be feeling the season of giving, now’s a good time to try giving something that feels counterintuitive to most salespeople. Sales trainer Kelley Robertson explains:

“From time-to-time you may encounter a situation when your product, service or solution does not fit a prospect’s specific situation,” says Robertson. “Some people try to force a solution in order to get a sale but this does not generate positive long-term relationships.”

”Sometimes it makes good business sense to suggest a competitor because their product or service is more appropriate for that particular customer. You may shudder at the thought of 'giving' revenue to your competition but if you can't provide the best solution there's no point trying to keep the sale. It does not make good business sense.”

”Here's an example of how this works,” continues Robertson. “I have alliances with several other sales trainers, and indirectly, we all compete against each other. But, at the same time, we each specialize in different areas. So, if an engineering company contacts me about sales training, even though I can probably deliver a good program, I know someone who is more qualified so I put the prospect in touch with that person.”

As Zig Ziglar once said, "You can get anything you want in life if you just help enough other people get what they want." Sometimes, it makes sense to give business to your competition. Competitive alliances can work in your favor.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com

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