The 3 Things You Have To Give Up To Be Great At Rural Sales
Our strengths as rural sales people can often be our biggest weaknesses. Yet too often we lack the self-awareness to see this until it’s pointed out by others.
So I’m going to save you all that hassle and help by pointing out the three things you need to give up to be great in rural sales:
1. Being Attached To The Sale
Counterintuitive as it sounds the best way to sell is not to sell.
The single best and biggest thing I get my students to do is not sell but serve. By that I mean help your specific customer make the most accurate and informed buying decision. You need to play the role of buyer assistant, not salesperson.
No one wants to be sold to but everyone loves to buy so help them buy.
Most rural customer are terrified of making a poor decision, especially when times are tough. The stakes in rural are so much higher because what they’re buying will dictate their livelihood – or not.
They won’t to make expensive season-destroying mistakes so you will need to provide plenty of proof to reassure them there is little risk choosing you over others.
2. “Always Be Closing!”
I detest this advice as I think it’s irresponsible and does a lot of harm. It’s also incredibly self-centred. The “ABC” Mantra should instead be Always Be Connecting. You do this through conversation and curiousity.
Ask intelligent questions that get your customer thinking for themselves. They will reward you for this by offering more insight and intel which then prompts you to adapt your line of questioning as you go deeper into the conversation.
As you focus more on qualifying and clarifying a wonderful magical thing will start to happen. Your customers will start to close themselves because you’ve answered all their questions for them.
3. Being Focused On You
I know it seems startingly simple but you are not the star of the show, much like news readers should never be the news.
You are an enabler and facilitator.
Your job is to make your customer is front and centre stage. Focus on showing how much you care by the genuine intent and sincerity of your questions. This will put them at ease, feel more comfortable and much safer because almost everyone never feels safe with sales people!
Do not show up n’ throw up professing your technical expertise. And don’t be a feature creature doing a verbal vomit.
It’s not about showing them how great you are, it’s about showing them how great they could be and what future they could achieve.
So leave your ego at the door. Be of service. Stop selling and help your buyer buy.
It’s the best advice I can give you. Good luck!
Continue Building Your Rural Sales Capability
🎙️ Listen to The Rural Sales Show Podcast, where St John interviews world-leading experts in mindset, sports psychology, leadership, and sales. Turn your time on the road into valuable learning time and discover practical ideas you can implement immediately.
Join the Rural Sales Syndicate™ for affordable ongoing coaching and support, or apply for the Rural Sales Success™ Programme to help your team become rural sales legends.
We also run the Rural Sales Manager Mastery™ Programme for new and existing Sales Managers who want to become exceptional sales coaches and leaders. Think of it as a “train the trainer” programme that helps you build internal capability and reduce reliance on external support.
And if budget is tight, explore FieldCoach IO™, your AI-powered rural sales coach that gives you instant access to practical answers, tools, and strategies for every sales scenario you face.
