Sean works for a major telecom company.
During one of our coaching sessions, he told me, "I've been diligent about following the sales process that my company believes is required to make a sale -- but, for some strange reason, my prospects don't want to fit into that process.
What am I doing wrong?"
Sean's comment struck me because it spoke to years of traditional selling programs that promote linear selling -- moving prospects along from one step to another until they say yes -- as a "guarantee" of sales success.
But there's an inherent conflict here.
Linear selling says that you have to impose a predetermined structure on building a relationship -- but that's by definition an unstructured process!
Suppose that the "next step" isn't what the prospect wants?
"Wait a minute," you might say. "What matters most is that I put as many prospects as possible into my sales process, and hopefully some of them will turn into sales."
If you're thinking that way, it's definitely time for you to consider a different way of thinking.
Of course you can make sales using linear selling -- but you'll never know how many sales you're losing week after week because you're wearing the "blinders" of traditional selling.
If we fail to tune in to the natural rhythm of trust-building when two strangers become involved in developing a relationship...or if we try to force prospects into our process, we make the relationship about us and not them, whether we intend to or not.
And prospects sense that and pull back, because structured, linear sales processes don't recognize the human elements required to build the relationships that ultimately lead to sales.
Before a sale can happen, prospects need to feel that you're comfortable moving at their pace and their process.
If you try to force changes in that process, you'll only set off alarms that will pigeonhole you with the negative stereotype of "salesperson."
That's why I advised Sean to work on becoming aware of the milestones that prospects set and that will guide his path to a sale.
He needed to learn to build enough trust with prospects that they would feel comfortable telling him the truth of their process and their decision making path.
"I totally accept the principles behind what you're saying," Sean then told me, "but I need to know more specifics about what to say and do in a sales situation." Here are some suggestions I gave him:
* Integrate trust-building language into your conversations with prospects so they'll feel comfortable telling you where they are at in their process. For example, saying "Where do you think we should go from here?" invites them to tell you the truth, while "Why don't we set up a next appointment to discuss our next steps" gives the impression that you're trying to take control.
* Rather than asking prospects overtly what their decision making process is, use softer language that they can understand from their perspective, for example, "What specific gates do you anticipate you'll need to go through as you consider the proposition of purchasing the software to solve the business issues we discussed?"
* Don't probe or "fish" for prospects' "pain" as part of your sales process. Prospects have learned through long experience that the appearance of caring is usually a verbal ploy designed to move the sale forward according to the salesperson's agenda. Instead, speak genuinely and with sincerity to what you know their core business issues are. You can find out what these are by getting in touch with customers who have already bought your product or service and asking, "What three or four business issues drove your decision to buy our product?" Chances are, your new prospect will be dealing with similar concerns.
Consider these ideas, and try these practical suggestions. They helped Sean feel better about letting go of the old ideas he'd been taught.
Maybe they'll do the same for you.
With a Masters Degree in Instructional Design and over a decade of experience creating breakthrough sales strategies for global companies such as UPS and QUALCOMM, Ari Galper discovered the missing link that people who sell have been seeking for years.
His profound discovery of shifting one's mindset to a place of complete integrity, based on new words and phrases grounded in sincerity, has earned him distinction as the world's leading authority on how to build trust in the world of selling.
Leading companies such as Gateway, Clear Channel Communications, Brother International and Fidelity National Mortgage have called on Ari to keep them on the leading edge of sales performance. Visit http://www.unlockthegame.com to get his free sales training lessons.
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
If you are in the mortgage business, the very first... Read More
Female mannequins are very common in clothing stores. They are... Read More
The other night I was watching a classic western from... Read More
Sales is all about negotiating. You are negotiating from the... Read More
Recently, I wrote about about creating specific, compelling goals that... Read More
When a request for proposal (RFP) comes in, you get... Read More
An important part of your business plan should be to... Read More
The purpose of a 1- or 2-hour seminar is to... Read More
Linda felt like she had reached a plateau in her... Read More
When you think about ways to gain repeat business from... Read More
After reading and researching thousands of books, articles and other... Read More
With hundreds of direct sales companies out there, how do... Read More
Selling Against Goliath?How to Take on the Big Guys and... Read More
For the past months, maybe a year, I've been hearing... Read More
A key method of our survival in the business and... Read More
A lot of people are very intrigued by the idea... Read More
On an introductory call, your voice is your instrument. During... Read More
In the last decade, the Internet has become a major... Read More
The multi million pound cosmetics industry is acutely aware of... Read More
Instead of giving your customers or potential customers a choice... Read More
Britney Spears has recently caused controversy with suggestions that the... Read More
One disadvantage of selling by telephone is the lack of... Read More
To be effective your sales letter must be opened, read,... Read More
Robert Louis Stevenson said 'Everything in Life is Selling' and... Read More
1. Make telephone callsFew things are more terrifying than the... Read More
Ready to put your Web pages up? Ready to sell... Read More
The difference between antique or vintage store fixtures and used... Read More
Remember those school exercises that started "Compare and contrast....yada yada... Read More
After careful consideration, we have chosen our vendor, and it's... Read More
Smart buyers will always ask for a better price. Unfortunately,... Read More
The formula for defining a "profession" is similar throughout many... Read More
Let me create a picture for you. This is the... Read More
How many sales opportunities have you lost to competitors who... Read More
Have you wasted valuable time and money on promotion that... Read More
Barter is becoming an increasingly popular method of commerce. The... Read More
Hello Everyone: Here's a unique look at learning how tosell:... Read More
Successful salespeople have the ability to turn the customers they... Read More
Neil Rackham turned the world of high-ticket salesmanship on its... Read More
Testimonials are all-important to sell anything. You may already have... Read More
Hypnosis has been a taboo word for far too long.... Read More
There are hundreds of books available to teach you how... Read More
I am sure you are familiar with the phrase, "I... Read More
Make sure you target women. It's true for almost anything... Read More
The main reason for buyer resistance and selling stalls boils... Read More
At-ti-tude, n.One of Webster's dictionaries describes the word attitude as:a... Read More
Have you ever wondered why some people use long sales... Read More
Here's a chilling thought. If you were to die tomorrow,... Read More
What can strike terror into the heart of even the... Read More
(Objection handling tips excerpted from Objections! Objections! Objections!)People buy people.... Read More
Our world of selling is closed off from other areas... Read More
A Simple TruthDo you have the right stuff?Are you consistent... Read More
Instead of giving your customers or potential customers a choice... Read More
The formula for defining a "profession" is similar throughout many... Read More
Hello, do you have a website and sell something on... Read More
I was sitting at my desk last week when my... Read More
Do you know your conversion rates? Conversion rate is the... Read More
Direct sales can be your ticket to a profitable home-based... Read More
Steps - it is unrealistic for most salespeople to expect... Read More
Last minute discounting has become so prevalent that many companies... Read More
I've written previously about how to attract customers and how... Read More
1. Make telephone callsFew things are more terrifying than the... Read More
Recently, I wrote about about creating specific, compelling goals that... Read More
I wonder when we decided to become a sales person.... Read More
With the dot.com revolution crushing once solid business models on... Read More
Smart buyers will always ask for a better price. Unfortunately,... Read More
Your choice of materials for store fixtures includes wood, metal,... Read More
Sales |