Unmasking the Poseur: Why Being One-Up is the Key to Sales Success

The poseur looks the part: Mont Blanc pen, attaché case, tailored suit, and an excellent business card. They’re the image of competence and success. Initially, it's challenging to discern that the salesperson isn't truly a salesperson. However, as this person begins to speak, their true nature as something other than a salesperson becomes evident. The longer the poseur speaks, the more apparent it becomes that they fall short of what the buyer requires.

Here, we will compare the poseur to the One-Up salesperson to help you understand why being One-Up is crucial.

The Sales Conversation: The Poseur

The poseur begins by attempting to build rapport, striving to discover common ground with their contact client. However, it often feels like the poseur is trying too hard, while their client grows impatient, expecting the conversation to delve into the topics proposed for the meeting.

Upon realizing that their rapport-building efforts have failed to engage their contact client, the poseur transitions to discussing the credibility of their company, highlighting years in business, awards, financial stability, exceptional leadership, and accolades.

However, the contact client may simply yawn in response. Undeterred, the poseur persists, emphasizing prominent clients repeatedly. Despite this, the client contact appears unimpressed and starts to lose patience, realizing that the conversation isn't progressing as they expected. Finally, the poseur plays their trump card—their solution.

Our poseur is confident that this will captivate the contact's client's imagination and convince them that it's precisely what they and their team require. However, the contact client checks their watch, subtly indicating that time is running short. A few minutes later, the contact makes an excuse to leave, apologizes, and suggests that the salesperson attempt another meeting later.

The Sales Conversation: The One-Up Salesperson

The One-Up salesperson refrains from attempting to build rapport at the start of the sales conversation, understanding that their contact client didn't agree to a meeting to make a new friend. Instead, the One-Up salesperson focuses on establishing business rapport later, recognizing that the relationship is more likely to evolve over time, particularly as they demonstrate their competence among decision-makers. The One-Up salesperson does not discuss their company, clients, awards, accolades, or solution.

Instead, the One-Up salesperson politely requests to share a short executive briefing that demonstrates that they know about the client's company and industry. The contact client is impressed by a salesperson who possesses knowledge rather than seeks it. The contact client feels this was a valuable use of their time, as it highlights the trends that have led to their challenges in achieving the results they’ve been pursuing.

The One-Up salesperson is confident that they have delivered value in the initial meeting, establishing themselves as an expert and authority—a person worth knowing. The conversation revolves around change, making it effortless to arrange a follow-up meeting. The contact’s client schedules the next meeting and expresses their anticipation to the One-Up rep.

How a Poseur Sells

The poseur who proceeds beyond the initial meeting will do everything in their power to discuss their solution. During their onboarding, they were indoctrinated with the ideal that their solution is the best and most perfect for every prospective client. Feature. Benefit. Feature. Benefit. Yawn. Any Questions? None? Thank you!

Our poseur believes that things went well, convinced that the solution was so compelling there is no doubt the client will make a purchase. However, the contact and their team continued their conversation internally, trying to understand what they had hoped the salesperson could help them with. Ultimately, they dismiss the poseur, despite his high sartorial score.

How a One-Up Sales Rep Sells

The first meeting is too early to discuss solutions. Instead, the On-Up salesperson focuses on helping the client understand the root cause or causes hindering the company and their team. Client question. One-Up explanation. Client question. One-Up explanation. One-Up pivot. How should these factors be assessed? How to engage your team in this discussion? Collaboration on solutions, options, and required changes. Identifying potential risks and strategies to mitigate concerns.

Like their competitors, the One-Up salesperson is aware that their solution will be effective. Unlike their competitors, they focus on assisting the client in preparing for a unique and crucial decision. Let's refer to this decision as enablement.

The One-Up Salesperson imparts their knowledge, experience, information, and insights to their client. They have aided the client in making the same decision the salesperson would make if tasked with it. The client is confident and has the certainty of success.

See Elite Sales Strategies: A Guide to Being One-Up, Creating Value, and Becoming Truly Consultative.

Your Obligation to Be One-Up

For as long as this blog has existed, spanning approximately 14 years, its content has been monitoring the evolution of changes in B2B buying and B2B selling. The concise summary of this transformation entails a shift from transactional approaches to value creation, even though some sales organizations are regressing.

The distinction lies in the poseur, a term used to describe someone who appears the part but lacks the competence to genuinely embody what they promise. This is akin to the person who purchases an expensive road bike, top-tier attire, and fancy clip-in shoes, despite not being a cyclist.

The legacy sales approach is no longer as effective as it was. Because buyers are struggling to make decisions, they look for a salesperson with the ability to help them make change. When a salesperson can’t create the value the client needs to move forward, they look elsewhere for the help they need.

Leaving this post, assess your sales approach to identify what you might do that prevents you from becoming One-Up and increasing your win rates. Recently, I won a deal after my client interviewed more than a dozen competitors. They were waiting to find someone who could help them, instead of pitching their solution.

Do good work and start preparing for 2024.