Archives for October 2017

Self-awareness is the first step in growth as a salesperson. If you don’t know what your weaknesses are how can you possibly attack them or compensate for them. When you are in a selling situation, you should pay close attention to what you say and, more importantly, what you avoid saying. Similarly, you should observe what you do and what you avoid doing. Listen to your self-talk. What excuses are you making for yourself about why you avoid asking certain questions or possibly challenging a prospect. Even if the reasons you say things or do things (or don’t) seems logical, question your motives. What you say or do will always seem logical to you, especially in the moment. But take the time to compare what you said to what the top people in your industry (or your sales coach) might have said. Why did you say what you said? Whatever the reason you give yourself challenge the reason. Ask yourself what else you could have said and why you didn’t say that. If possible get someone (like a coach or sales manager) to debrief you and offer suggestions. The next time you are in that situation get out of your comfort zone and take a different path in the conversation. That is the only way to control and even accelerate your growth.

The secret to finding pain is to be able to anticipate the problems the prospect might have and then to ask good hard tough questions to get the prospect to share them with you. That is the real value of subject matter expertise and industry knowledge and experience. If you have that expertise you can anticipate what problems they might have, and so you know where to probe for pain and you know what questions to ask. A novice in the industry or the product line is reduced to asking random questions or general questions and is less likely to get to the real pain or the real issue with the prospect. Do not make the mistake of anticipating what problems the prospect might have and then leaping in with a solution. This might be the origin of that old saw about what happens when you assume … ass/u/me.

Buying signals of a prospect can be extremely misleading. I don’t believe in them. Leaning forward, asking questions, using certain words are all classic buying signals taught in sales courses. I lean forward because I can’t hear it doesn’t mean I am either more or less interested or any closer to buying what you are selling. Prospects are expert at “playing” the salesperson. They do this to gain an advantage or to get the salesperson to give up information or maybe to get the salesperson to let his or her guard down. Don’t be misled by a prospects buying signals. Follow your sales process and use your sales skills. Ignore the body language and other nuances. You will save yourself a lot of anguish in the long run.

Prospects need more than interest to become buyers. I am interested in the features of the new iPhone but I am not going to buy it because I am too invested in the Android platform. I am interested in Pickup trucks but I have no need for one. A person like me can waste a lot of a salesperson’s time asking questions, satisfying my curiosity, and teaching me. But, I am not a prospect. I have no need. I have no pain. I am a decision maker and I have the money. But I am not a qualified prospect for either of those products and salespeople should ask enough questions to discover that and move on to someone else as quickly as possible without being rude or damaging the brand of what they are selling.

If you waste too much time with people like me in those two examples, you will not have time to prospect for real customers who are qualified. I know it is enticing and, by the way, prospects know that about you and they are good at pretending to be a real prospect to get their questions answered, to get their curiosity satisfied and to enhance their learning. So be sure to ask enough questions to be able to distinguish a real prospect from a “tire kicker”.