Tuesday Tips

Let’s Talk About Sales 

New business acquisition is hard.  It starts by having conversations with strangers.  The conversation better be about something of interest to your counterpart.  

Selecting a topic that interests others is easy when considering human nature.  Two topics top the list; 1: themselves (and their families), and 2: their work.  

What if we start a conversation with one of those? (Neither are about what we are selling…not about Our Stuff.) You will have an advantage if the conversation is relevant to the counterpart. Why an advantage?  Because most salespeople can’t shut up about their Own Stuff. 

Starting a conversation with someone you have interrupted via phone, email, social message, is among the hardest things in business.    

To start with something about them, there is no shortcut.  This means Preparation to Personalize. Do the research. Start a conversation with a nugget we have found.  Here are 4 suggestions to focus on your counterpart: 

1. 1. Do your research. You are meeting/calling on a plant manager.  You have done your research and craft this question as a Connecting strategy:  “When doing homework, I saw that you ran a plant in Hampton Roads.  How did you find your way back here to Lafayette?”   Apply any nugget here.  Be genuinely curious.  If seen as an insincere ploy to endear yourself with the counterpart, you lose. 
   2. Provide immediate insight.  I saw this suggestion recently as a Connecting strategy:  “I have been calling Plant Managers (In your industry) all week. Would you be interested in what I have learned from those calls?”  Relevant and insightful about their work. 
   3. Be clear about the problems you solve. After establishing Connection with your counterpart, they ask about your stuff.  Moment of truth here.  DO recite your 10 second commercial about the problems you solve.  Then ask if any of these problems are relevant.  Listen and keep asking questions.   DO NOT fall into the trap of blabbing about Your Stuff.  
   4. A question to get a prospect talking about their top-of-mind work challenges comes from the great Jeff Thull.  Jeff calls it the A-Z question. (For a guidebook on how great salespeople operate, read Jeff’s books “Exceptional Selling” and “Mastering the Complex Sale”.)   In simplest form the A-Z will sound something like this: “When you think about what you are dealing with in your role, what area concerns you most?”  Pulling the top-of-mind challenge the person is facing provides the opportunity to determine fit. 

Focusing on the other person is hard, particularly if we are enthusiastic about our solution.  It takes discipline to stay in questioning mode.  When talking with strangers, talk about them 90% of the time, Your Stuff; maybe 10%. 

Quote

“If you can’t see yourself working with somebody for life don’t work with them for a day.” 

Naval Ravikant