What All Top Salespeople Possess
The ability to ask the right question. From Colleen Francis’ blog:
Over 20 years ago, Neil Rackham concluded a 12- year study analyzing some 35,000 sales calls conducted by 22 companies in 23 countries. The objective of the study was to determine the precise behaviors of successful sales people.
What did he find? That mediocre sales people make statements. The best ask questions.
That is absolutely true and we see it in spades on a daily basis. Have you ever noticed how people assume someone who is talkative is often told they should go into sales? I think this conventional wisdom is the reason why there are so many overbearing salespeople in the world. Successful selling involves many aspects, but the ability to ask the right question, shut up and listen is foremost among them.
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Posted By Derrick Moe | Communication, Sales Techniques | |
Too true. Doesn’t matter how much i like an item I will refuse to buy it if the sales person is overbearing. Alternatively if they listen to me and understand what i am after they are much more likely to seal the deal.
Mon - I am the same as you. There is nothing I dislike more than an overly talkative salesperson. I, too, will walk and purchase the item somewhere else.
Thanks for the comment.
This one is on the money - we all tend to like people who ask questions about us, our company, etc. We also tend to buy from people we like.
As an aside - I’ve done some sales recruiting for Neil Rackham’s old company - Huthwaite - creators of Spin Selling. Their President is a long time recruiting client. Anyway - he just came out with a new book called “Escaping the Price-Driven Sale: How World Class Sellers Create Extraordinary Profit”
Click over to Amazon and grab a copy.