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Sometimes people ask me “how I do what I do” in sales. It’s simple. I’m confident and passionate about what I have to offer, and I only try to sell to people that I know can/will actually buy the product.
I do think it is important to be passionate about something. Your job, your hobbies, anything really, as long as it’s something that you care about. I happen to be passionate about sales, as well as the company that I work for, and it tends to shine through on every call. Most of the time it is a good thing. I have a tendency to want people to understand why what I have to offer is so valuable, and to get them just as excited as I am about it. This can help tremendously in the sales process in terms of swift movement in purchasing, or selling internally. Sometimes however, it’s not. In the past, I would give my heart and my soul to each presentation without quite realizing if they were worth the price of the show. I’ve found, not surprisingly, that it is just as important to disqualify someone as to qualify them.
Here are some of the things I came across:
Happy Ears: Even if the prospect/s seem interested and seem to be saying yes, if their answers don’t equate a real business need or pain, it is SO much better to move on right there and then than to have “happy ears” and try to sell something to them they don’t need, but think they “might”. They will only end up being unhappy, which in the long run can make you very unhappy. Instead, use a series of pointed questions to sniff out the B.S. and figure out if they are a serious buyer. Don’t be afraid to ask the tough ones like timing and budget either. They are always the most telling.
A Mean Prospect: Don’t ever let a prospect push you around. I refuse to deal with anyone who doesn't treat me with respect. Your time is just as valuable as theirs (regardless of their title or position), so if they start giving you a hard time or answering your questions with only one word, you should end the call immediately. Every call should be viewed as business conversation with both parties on an even playing field trying to figure out a solution. Plus, even if they do end up buying, who wants to work with a jerk?
Potential Unique Business Fit: Learn your product inside and out so that you can see all of the areas for potential alignment. I’ve found that you should develop a plan that is unique to each prospect, that can help them solve their particular need, vs. a more blanketed approach where you just talk about YOUR product and not how it benefits them specifically. Sometimes you can solve for a little thing that is driving them crazy, and you may not think to address it if you don't know everything you offer.
Wrong Contact: Speaking to the wrong person can lead to a lot of time wasted. As mentioned in this blog previously, a lot of prospects will tell you that they are the decision maker when in reality they have no authority whatsoever and are just educating themselves. Others only have the ability to say no, and are not the ones to sign. Find out if everyone at the company is on board with them looking into this. If so, make sure their buying process is crystal clear so you can get the right players involved.
At the end of the day, this is all about selling as much as you can in as little time as possible. Qualify, qualify, qualify. Also, don’t get too concerned with losses, sales is ebb and flow. Have the confidence to keep on moving until you find the next good fit. It’s so much better to find someone new to sell to who is actually interested and has a need, than to just keep wasting your time on non-buyers or hammering old opportunities that don’t have much likelihood to buy.
