How can a sales manager impart their intention? It’s probably the most difficult of sales skills for sales managers to teach their employees.
What is it that makes teaching intent difficult? It’s not a verbal ability and cannot be learned in the salesperson’s mind and starts with character and goodwill.
A salesperson who arrives on the sales conversation with a genuine desire to learn about the business of the prospect and problems will be able to close higher sales than their more articulate more polished, less expensive competitor. Humans are wired to recognize dishonesty and a absence of authenticity. In the same way, they are able to recognize an individual who is honest and wants to be honest. Which one would you prefer to work with?
So , how can you instruct your sales team members to take every sales prospect with the best intentions? Here are three questions you can ask to assist:
1. Are you at the office of your prospect to sell or provide advice?
If a salesperson approaches an selling scenario with the goal of closing the deal there is a change. The buyer’s mind is closed due to the fact that they realize the questions they are asked are intended to prompt the response of a “yes.”
For instance, a potential customer has shared their frustrations and issues with an agent. The salesperson is able to detect “buying signals” and follows up with a relevant final query: “If we were able to improve this situation, would you want to?”
This is probably the most stupid question that a salesperson could ask during a phone call. What is the prospect expected to respond? “No, I’d like to continue to have this problem, continue losing thousands of dollars and my best customers.” The salesperson who’s goal is to listen and comprehend will not be influenced by buying signals.
A successful sales consultant is friendly and curious. They approach every sales meeting as an investigator on “CSI”; they want to understand the reason for the issue, how it become an issue and its impact on business. The sales advisor is aware of what they need to know. The more information that they collect and the more effective solution they can give.
2. Are you looking for the truth or an answer to you’ve been looking for?
It begins with the right intentions and is followed by refusing to play games typically during the sales call. Have you ever had the sales call of prospects who aren’t interested and keeps the cards near to their chest, or doesn’t appear to be suffering from any trouble? The reality is that the prospect already has made a choice that they believe in win-lose relationships or is confused by the act of having a conversation with a salesperson as actually taking action to address the issue. (You are familiar with the scenario that if you speak about getting rid of some weight it could occur.)
If your goal is to find the truth, then you should be honest. Truth sounds like this “Mr. Prospect, I feel that you are:
(1) Have already selected an organization to work with for the proposed venture.” or,
(2) “Are not comfortable sharing the information I need in order to make a recommendation.” Or,
(3) “Have some issues. However, I’m not sure they are big enough to address at this time.”
When you search for the truth, you’ll become an animal hunter, and you’ll be”the “sales elephant” in the room — the one not getting much attention because it roars and wails its trunk. When you tell the truth your prospect will also speak the truth, and a genuine dialog starts. Although I cannot promise a sale every single time but I can assure you that you won’t be wasting time with prospects who aren’t ready or qualified to work with you.
3. Are you trying to impress or be influential?
That is the query Willie Jolly, a motivational speaker addressed an audience with trainers and professional speakers. “You can dazzle the audience with your style and flair,” Jolly declared. “They will be amazed. But they might not be at all.
“The successful speaker connects with the audience, and something in their life changes because of your ability to influence. Which would you like to do? Impress or influence?”
We’re offered the same opportunity when it comes to sales. A lot of occasions, salespeople arrive at meetings with the intention to impress the prospective client. They will recite their product knowledge with fancy PowerPoint presentations and seven-syllable phrases are used throughout the discussion.
If a salesperson is concerned about impressing clients, the attention is on their own self, not on the customer or the prospect. It’s not difficult to realize that prospective customers and customers don’t do business with self-centered persons.
Be sure to check your intentions. Be honest. Make the choice to be influential.
The person who is looking for the information recognizes the difference. Do you?
Colleen Stanley serves as the president and founder of SalesLeadership, Inc. She is a columnist on a monthly basis for the national Business Journals, author of “Growing Great Sales Teams” and co-author of “Motivational Selling.’ Prior to founding SalesLeadership, Colleen was vice director of marketing and sales for Varsity Spirit Corporation. In the 10 years she was at Varsity sales grew from 8M to 90 million.
