Myth #17: Focus on the Next New Thing

The most successful people are not the ones who have focused on what's happening next; they're the ones who looked to see what would happen after that. Ted Turner, "The Mouth of the South", took over a failing UHF television station planning to build an "information empire". His competitors, detractors and even the press derided some of his decisions because they failed to recognize that he was not playing the current move, he was several moves ahead.

Have you ever played chess with a great chess player? If so, you know that the move your opponent makes is part of a strategy that includes the next move, or next two moves or even more.

This is how we must think in sales and sales leadership to avoid being a "me too" player.

When your competition announces or executes "the next new thing", you have two choices:

Do that same thing, only do it better
Do the NEXT new thing

But what if you don't have the "better" or the "NEXT"? Remember that professional selling principles do not change. Capitalize on your professionalism.

Instead of trying to sell against your competitor's new technology, sell around it using value-added selling. Instead of trying to sell against your competitor's new process, sell around it using a higher level of relationship selling.

Remember: whatever you are selling is obsolete. Every product on the shelf at your cutting-edge retailer is obsolete. Whatever future offering you just read about in the latest scientific journal is obsolete. So think about the what will happen when any of these is common place and you will begin to think like a winner.

As an example, have you seen the "computer in your shirt pocket?" You can see the obsolete computer here: Computer in a Pocket

Did you know that computer screens are obsolete? Check this out: LINK

Your customers and your competitors are not interested in the next new thing - or even the thing after that. They are interested in what those things will do for them right now. Understand your customer's need or their want and show them how your current or future offerings will address those better than anyone else's.

A neighbor went to buy a $500 Blu-Ray Player so he could watch his DVDs with the best audio and video. Instead, he bought a $49 wireless device that immediately brings any movie available at Netflix to his home theater. No moving parts, no trips to the video store and all the features of Blu-Ray.

It's obsolete.

By the way, this edition of Sales Myth-Perceptions was produced and uploaded on the flight to a Dallas speaking engagement using the newest inflight wireless Internet technology. Is it obsolete?