The Holy Sales Trinity: Why Your Customer, Your Company, and You All Must Win!

Have you ever struggled to balance the needs of your customer, your company, and yourself in an important relationship, negotiation or sales deal?

This is the ultimate, but pivotal balance.

The key to successful sales often lies in the delicate balance of meeting the needs of the customer, the company, and yourself—a concept I call the Holy Sales Trinity. All three are critical; if any are missing, it’s a bad deal for someone and shouldn’t be pursued.

In my sales career, I’ve come to understand the critical importance of aligning the goals and needs of three key stakeholders: the customer, the company, and myself. This concept, which I refer to as the “Holy Sales Trinity,” has been instrumental in driving my success and fostering long-term relationships. Let me share a detailed account of how this approach has transformed my career and why it’s essential for achieving mutual success.

Setting the Foundation of the Deal

The foundation of any successful deal begins with understanding the key players and their motivations. I’ve often encountered sellers who struggled with objections or stalled deals. Most of these issues could have been prevented with a proper foundation. It’s crucial to know the major players, key milestones, and processes from the outset to avoid unexpected surprises at critical stages.

Each day, I go through my daily non-negotiables, reviewing my deal hit list and identifying actions needed to influence outcomes. This disciplined approach ensures that I stay on top of each deal and can address potential issues proactively. One of the most important elements of this foundation is understanding and aligning the goals of the customer, the company, and myself.

Understanding the Customer’s Why

A pivotal aspect of setting the foundation is uncovering the customer’s true motivations. This isn’t always straightforward, as customers may not directly articulate their deeper needs. By investing in relationships, being responsive, communicative, and transparent, you gradually earn the trust needed to understand what truly matters to them.

For instance, during a negotiation with a large enterprise client, I leveraged social profiles, company reports, and industry insights to formulate an informed perspective. By suggesting relevant solutions and asking if they resonated with the client’s needs, I was able to uncover deeper motivations and tailor our approach accordingly.

Proactively going to your customers and being transparent about your company’s and your motivations can also be exceptionally helpful; as you work to bring balance to your customer winning but also sharing what matters most to your company, it can help you construct a deal that is lucrative for all. That is the type of relationship you want to build – one rooted in transparency and communication.

The Power of Strategic Networking

Strategic networking plays a significant role in aligning the Holy Sales Trinity. In one of the biggest deals I ever closed, I had over 200 first-degree connections on LinkedIn within the target organization. Knowing key stakeholders and leveraging existing relationships were crucial in navigating the deal. These relationships allowed me to understand their internal dynamics and align our proposal to meet their specific needs.

Having what I like to call a “friendly” within the customer organization can be a game-changer; I’ve spent many a day talking to these friendlies as they feed me intel and changing priorities while I bounce ideas off of them. These have helped create mega-deals.

Leveraging Resources and Team Collaboration

One of the keys to success is ensuring that all necessary resources and people are involved in the deal. I call this getting everyone in the boat. It’s vital to have the right customer influencers and decision-makers engaged from the start, as well as the right team members on your side who can contribute to the deal’s success. This comprehensive approach ensures that all perspectives are considered, and all key milestones and budget constraints are addressed early on.

Part of your company winning is your team members who touch the deal winning; I constructed a program called Plays that Get You Paid, so that I understood the compensation plan of everyone I worked with and I was proactively going out and creating conversations that had higher probability of leading to my teammates’ maximum payout. They loved this.

The Holy Sales Trinity in Action

In one memorable deal, we faced significant challenges with a customer who had been burned by vendors in the past. By focusing on transparency and aligning the interests of the customer, the company, and our team, we crafted a solution that met everyone’s needs. We involved a vendor, allocated resources effectively, and built a foundation of trust that led to closing the deal.

This experience reinforced the importance of balancing the Holy Sales Trinity. It’s not just about closing a deal; it’s about creating a partnership where all parties feel valued and understood.

Lessons from Salesman on Fire

My book, “Salesman on Fire,” was inspired by one of the most challenging periods of my career—the first time I missed my goal. This failure forced me to reassess my approach and focus on aligning the needs of all stakeholders. By embracing this mindset, I rebounded and achieved significant success, winning multiple awards and promotions.

Key Takeaways:

Results and Work Ethic Matter: Achievements are essential, but they are just the beginning. Teamwork is Crucial: Ensure you have the right people on both your team and the customer’s side. Embrace Lifelong Learning: Continually seek growth and improvement based on past experiences. Understand the Customer’s Why: Invest time to uncover true motivations and tailor your approach. Leverage Strategic Networking: Build and maintain relationships to understand internal dynamics. Get Everyone in the Boat: Involve all necessary resources and decision-makers from the start. Be Transparent: Show your process and be clear about how you can help.

Balancing the needs of the customer, the company, and yourself is the cornerstone of successful sales. By embracing the Holy Sales Trinity, you create a foundation for lasting relationships, mutual success, and personal fulfillment.

Are you ready to align the goals of your customer, your company, and yourself to achieve true success in your sales career?

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