Selling Isn’t Something You Do TO People

Most sales training makes it sound like selling is some kind of combat.

Outmaneuver the prospect.

Overcome their objections.

Get them to yes before they know what hit them. That’s how you end up with used car people and why everybody’s stomach tightens up the second a salesperson walks over. You all have a version of that guy in your head. Nobody wants to buy from him.

Our opinion is that selling isn’t something you do TO someone. It’s something you do WITH them. Your job is to help a person figure out whether what you’ve got actually solves their problem.  If it doesn’t, tell them that too. That’s it.

We call it Professional Problem Solving.

Here’s how to do that, step by step.

Lead generation is always required first.  There are lots of blogs around marketing on our website, so I’m not going to beat that horse.

Then you make contact. Keep it focused. Your reality is probably that you solve a much narrower problem than you’d like to admit, and probably in a more specific way than you know.

People aren’t fans of scripting, but it’s the fastest way to help your lead determine if you are going to be a good fit for the problem they have.  You won’t script 100% of your conversations, but your opening, which we call a purpose statement, and your closing should be word for word.

After you set the stage, you ask questions. Questions designed to help your prospect decide exactly what their need/want is, and then questions to figure out whether your solution is a good fit for their problem. You’re trying to find out what’s actually broken for this person, not just confirm they have a pulse and a budget.

Once you know the problem, and you know that what you provide is a good solution to that problem, only then will you share it with them.  It’s a good idea to back that up with testimonials, case studies, and social proof.  It’s likely that they’ve already researched you online and your website, so providing all the information in easily digestible parts will do some of your selling for you.

And if you’re not a good solution to their problem, tell them that, too.  Don’t try to sell them something that doesn’t fit with what they need.  No one wants to talk to that person.

Objections come next.  They’re simply information. A prospect raising a concern is telling you exactly what’s standing between them and yes. Listen to it, address it straight, and don’t get offended.  They’re usually telling you how to sell them.

Finally, you ask for the sale.  This can be as simple as “what would you like to do next?”  You can ask about start dates or preferred terms because you both already know they’re buying. If this step doesn’t feel natural, you probably skipped a step earlier.

The step most salespeople skip is the after sale follow up.

You’ll want to do better than a “just checking in!” email that says nothing.

Ask how their experience of ownership is going.  See if there’s something that you can improve for them, and this is the call to plant the seed for repeat business and referrals.  It’s also the step where most people leave money on the table because they’re too busy chasing the next lead to take care of the one who already said yes.

Your sales process, and it is a process, doesn’t work without trust. People don’t buy from companies. They buy from people.  Someone who bothered to ask and learn what they actually need instead of what’s easiest to sell them.

The business should share content that teaches something instead of just plugging your stuff. Communication that references what the prospect told you instead of just sending a mail-merge with their first name slapped on top. Staying in front of them over a long and consistent period of time. Content where you provide value even when you’re not pushing the product of the month.

One note on buyer psychology? People trust other people’s experience more than your pitch.  That’s fine and why your website can do some of your selling for you.  Social proof, and good case studies beats ten random descriptions.

One final concept is that people move faster when they think the window’s closing.  Scarcity is not a dirty trick, as long as it’s real.

Your bottom line: educate before you sell, use your CRM to manage your pipeline, and keep learning because the market you sold into five years ago doesn’t exist anymore. Skip all that and you’re just smoking hopium that the next lead closes itself.

If you want to actually build this muscle instead of reading about it, our sales class kicks off October 5th. https://actioncoachwi.com/sales-training/