Fear: Is that all you got?

“With integrity, you have nothing to fear, since you have nothing to hide. With integrity, you will do the right thing, so you will have no guilt.” — Zig Ziglar

I attended a trade show recently and had a customer approach me. He wanted to try Advantage GPS, but noted a competitor had some pretty disparaging comments about our product. After a few minutes of detailing the benefits of our products and services, he felt confident with his decision to move forward and submit his first order. I was thankful this customer approached me and asked the hard questions based off the fear our competitor placed in him. After he left, I started thinking; how many customers don’t approach me because of the fear placed in them? How many are missing out on a good — no great — product because the competition is planting fear?

I’m good at selling our products because they’re loaded with value, and detailing real value is relatively easy. The more I thought about it, however, the more my righteous indignation set in. Fear-based selling can get you a sale, but selling value gets you a customer who is confident in their purchase, understands the product and will recommend your services to others.

The way I look at it is like Zig Ziglar says above. If I sell with integrity, I’ll have nothing to hide and do so with great satisfaction.

My suggestion for those who need to purchase GPS tracking devices to protect their collateral and gain the most profit from their portfolio is do their due diligence. You wouldn’t buy a large-screen HD TV without looking up the specs, checking out the features, looking at reviews, and comparing prices with other outlets. So, I’ve created a short checklist for those buying GPS devices.

• Look at the company’s leadership. Who are they? What are their backgrounds, level of expertise?
• Look at the foundation of the company. Where is it located, employees? Who they hire to represent them is at least as important as the products and services they sell.
• Look at the technology. Where is it sourced? Ease of use? Is it cutting-edge technology, or yesterday’s just repackaged? Your rep should be able to get this information to you, but it’s readily available from unbiased third-party sources.
• Does the equipment, software work for me? If I’m on the road, is the dashboard mobile-friendly? Does it work as well as the desktop version?
• Customer support is vital, so ask whether it’s available all-day, every day, 365 days a year? Try calling customer support to see how quickly they respond.

When it comes to price, I know that Advantage GPS is very competitive, and in many cases, is the best out there. But price shouldn’t be the overriding factor. Remember, you are protecting an asset worth $5,000, $10,000, $15,000 or more. What are you willing to spend to protect that asset, should be the question you ask. Come at the math problem from the other side of the equation. Ask yourself, “If I were to lose this asset, or if it takes me longer to locate and retake possession of it, what is the cost to me?

Don’t let someone put fear in your mind about finding out more about another company. You have a good head and the tools to find out what works for you, rather than let someone else fill your head with doubts that really don’t exist.

Michelle Jackson
Executive Sales Director