The No Selling Sales Conversation

Posted by AndyM on February 24, 2010 under Business Growth | 2 Comments to Read

Do you dread going into a “sales call?”  It takes a certain kind of individual to get excited about such a meeting — to truly relish it.  Well, that’s not me.  Some days I wish I was “that guy,” but I’m not.  Nevertheless, I have (if I do say so myself) a tremendous amount of value to offer, and it takes money to get it from me…somewhere in there a sales conversation HAS to happen, right?

The answer is “yes” and “no.”  Yes, a sales conversation takes place, but no — it’s not the dog and pony show that one thinks of as a sales meeting.  From my perspective, a typical sales meeting is setup for everyone to fail.  The prospective client wants to get as much information as possible about the product or service being offered, while revealing only as much as necessary about their business or problem.  They are usually dreading the meeting and just hope they can learn what they need to learn to make a decision without getting pinned down about timing or budget from an aggressive sales person. 

The sales person, on the other hand, wants the prospect to reveal as much as possible about their situation so as to suggest the winning combination of products or services to meet their needs and budget.  Sounds o.k., right?  But they worry about getting caught revealing too much — giving away the answer to the prospect’s problem without getting paid for it.

So what happens?  Well, there is great likelihood of an elaborate dance, and only a moderate chance of a highly productive meeting.  Here is a suggestion for going against the grain to improve your sales meeting experience, and win more deals.  I call it a no-selling sales conversation:

• Let your prospect know in advance that you will not use more than a few minutes of the upcoming meeting to describe your products or services.  Instead, you want to use the time as a true consultation to help them better understand the problem they are facing and the options for solving it.
• Send them questions in advance that will help you both understand their circumstance better and ask them to have answers available at your meeting.
• Put them at ease by letting them know that you will not be proposing a next step or recommending a product or service of yours for them to consider purchasing.  They will have to ask you for information about how to work with you or buy your product.

When it comes to the day of the meeting, here is a good agenda to follow:

• After some small talk to establish a connection, open with just a few comments about your background, service or product you offer, and some of what your happy clients have experienced.
• After these few minutes, switch gears to ask about your prospect’s current circumstance.  Use the questions you sent in advance as your guide.  Your prospect will already have let their guard down after realizing that you meant what you said — you indeed would not be torturing them with a typical sales pitch!  Be sure to ask clarifying questions about their current challenges — when did the problem start?  what solutions have they tried so far?
• After you have a good picture of their current situation, ask them what a completely resolved state would look like.  Getting them to envision a future without this problem or limitation will help them realize how much they really want it. 
• Next, ask them to think about what stands between their current state and the future they want.  You may only be able to offer part of a solution to that problem.  Resist the urge to tout your solution.  All you really need to accomplish at this point is helping them truly see what needs to be done. 
• Next, ask them to describe how important it is to reach the desired state.  Is it something they are willing to invest in to accomplish?
• Finally, simply ask them if they would like you to describe how you work with clients that face similar challenges.  “No thank you” is a perfectly acceptable answer, but not one you will get often with this sales approach!

Your sales task is not to get your product or service into their hands.  Your task is to help them realize the benefits they are seeking — actually reach the desired state they want.  By presenting yourself as someone truly interested in helping them get there, you will set yourself apart and have prospects eagerly asking you to share how they could work with you!

I’ll Have to Think About It

Posted by AndyM on February 11, 2010 under Business Growth | Be the First to Comment

If you are in sales, you have probably heard that statement more times than you would like to remember — “I’ll have to think about it.”  When that phrase falls on your ears, you just go ahead and translate it to “no” in your head, don’t you(?)  I know I can react that way when it happens.  But of course you feel compelled to follow up with that prospect, to at least show that you are organized and diligent.  Plus, aren’t people like me always telling you that thorough follow up is essential?  Ugh, it feels like a trap at times — damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

Well here is a thought to help you strike the right balance.  First say this to yourself — “my time is valuable and my [product or service] is valuable too.”  This, of course, assumes that the prospect you are talking with is a good fit for realizing the value you promise.  Okay, hold onto that mindset.  You’ll need that in the front of your mind as you take this uncomfortable path…

1. When you get that reaction — “I’ll have to think about it” – ask your prospect if they need any more information to make a decision.  Anything at all.  Have you educated them sufficiently about how you could help, or what your product is capable of doing?  Have you helped them understand their problem more thoroughly, so as to determine the importance of fixing it?
2. If they raise any issues, then there is your task.  Fill in any blanks, answer any questions, schedule the next meeting to include the additional players that will participate — all so they are fully armed to make a decision. 
3. When you’ve reached the end of that process, and they still need time to think about it, let them know that you will not be following up to check on their progress.  Because either they are not interested, and they are just trying to be polite, or they truly need some time to ponder their options to come to a conclusion.  Either way, your job is done.  You will save yourself a whole lot of time worrying, wondering, checking on their progress — and you will avoid becoming a nuisance.

You’re wondering if you just read that right.  I recommended that you have a direct conversation with a prospect to let them know that you will not waste your time, nor theirs, with endless follow up and checking.  O.k., so they like you for that.  No one wants a pushy sales person.  Plus, you can tell when they agree to a date for a follow up call, it’s just a game, right?  “O.k., give me a try Thursday…ya, that will work.  Right, 1:30…perfect…”  Come on, admit it.  How many times out of 10 do they really want that follow up call…2?

O.k., so we like this strategy because you get to avoid being a nag.  So are you going to just clam up and hope for the phone to ring?  Of course not!!!  The fact that you want them to come to a decision, and the ball is in their court, is out there.  You don’t need to remind them — they know you want the sale.  Get busy earning it!  Use the law of reciprocity!  Instead of checking on them, help them accomplish something valuable.  Make introductions, shoot over some tips for increasing their business. 

You would have spent time checking on them anyway, use the same energy to truly add value.  You’ll get the sale and you’ll have a client for life.  Check out our last post for more inspiration Sales “Venture Capital” Style.

Next post, how to have that sales conversation so you get the “I’ll have to think about it” reaction less and less…