Saleshq.com has an excellent article for any salesperson in any market – Do You Probe For Pain? We use the term “pain” in our discussions though it sounds a bit dramatic. Even so, it is the most descriptive word for qualifying. The article explains why: People are fundamentally motivated in two main ways: 1. What problem or pain they can avoid and move away from 2. What pleasure or benefit they can move towards That is absolutely true. The key here is that people move away from pain faster than they move towards pleasure. As described later in the article: If a prospect feels content with their current supplier or… Read More
Continue ReadingAsk The Tough Questions
In talking with sales managers over the past month or so there is one reoccurring statement that I am hearing – their sales cycle has been extended in this economy. It isn’t that they are not closing sales, it is just taking a bit longer. Buyers are certainly more deliberate, but as we discussed some of their opportunities, it was clear that their sales people are not asking the difficult questions that lead to a qualified deal. I came across this article from Kelley Robertson quite some time ago and passed it on to one of these sales managers – it is worth bringing it up again. The article provides a… Read More
Continue ReadingCandidates That Do Not Wow
We’ve been on this topic a bit lately, but it is mission-critical to successful selling. Asking questions…asking the right questions is tantamount to qualifying prospects. Most sales managers know this, yet we often see them displaying selective amnesia when it comes to interviewing sales candidates. Case in point: Lee often observes sales managers who are underwhelmed with a candidate because the candidate didn’t “wow” them. That’s understandable, but many times the manager isn’t wowed because the candidate is qualifying the opportunity instead of spewing feature/benefits. It is at this point that Lee has to mention the different questions that the candidate asked in their responses and the information that candidate… Read More
Continue ReadingSelling Is Not Telling
Conventional Wisdom = The best talkers make the best salespeople. If I could rewrite that to make it accurate, I would state it like this: The best questioners make the best salespeople. Yes, I know that is oversimplifying things, but it is an attempt at rewriting conventional wisdom. The key takeaway is that the person asking the questions is in control of the conversation even though they are not doing the majority of the talking. This is a fundamental principle in sales that often gets ignored, overlooked or worse. In that light comes an excellent article from the weekly Salesopedia newsletter: Initially you need to ask questions to uncover whether… Read More
Continue ReadingWhat 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… Read More
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