Honesty - Improving Sales From Solar Flare Services
Is it time for some refreshing selling?
I've noticed in many of the feeds I receive through the likes of LinkedIn, some very interesting patterns emerging in the debates in the last few months. Even with the current Covid-19 pandemic and more pressure to create leads and sell I am still seeing the same behaviours. As individuals look for an edge, more success and better results, new techniques, or improved methodology some key principles continue to be highlighted.
These principles are not new - however, it appears many of them have been forgotten, lost, or have never been taught. A vocal few (who I consider experts) are bringing them back to life and refreshing our memories and our sales approach.
• The sales process and sales behaviour are not the same things.
• Blindly following a sales script (process) gives you the results you deserve.
• In an information-overloaded world, potential customers (prospects) want, expect, and deserve honesty.
• If you are not honest with yourself first, how can you be honest with the customer?
Being brutally honest with one's self is the primary starting point. For example, if I am late for an appointment why is that? The traffic was unexpectedly bad, there had been an accident, I couldn't find the meeting location, the sat nav was wrong? These are all reasons/justifications (excuses?)... but not the brutal honesty... the real reason was that I didn't set off in time. If we make excuses we are just defending ourselves, and that just provides ammunition for others to attack us with.
Why is my pipeline top-heavy? Because I'm not following up properly? Because it's easier to do introductions than proposals? Or is it because I'm not understanding the client properly and therefore unable to demonstrate value to them?
Why is my pipeline light? The market is quiet? Clients are spending less? The competition is more fierce? Or is it because I'm not making enough calls and seeing enough prospects?
Fear of losing the prospect, the opportunity, the deal, and reporting poor KPIs can drive the wrong behaviours. If your prospect doesn't want or can't afford what you have to offer that's ok. Accept this truth and move on. As one entrepreneur said "Fail fast and fail often". Be honest.
So in refreshing our memory, our techniques, our knowledge of what works, the start point has to be taking a fresh and fundamentally honest, look at ourselves - it can't come from anywhere else.
Some questions to ask yourself:
• Am I trying to be liked or trying to add value?
• Do I understand the value our product or service delivers?
• Can I articulate that value simply and clearly?
• Have I understood the clients' challenge or was I to busy talking about our service/product?
• Is my prospect really interested or just trying to get rid of me?
• I am hoping the deal with be completed, or do I have a strategy to close?
• What did I learn from the last success?
• What did I learn from the last loss?
Finally... not every prospect is going to want what you offer. No joy - move on to the next ... quickly. Remember, if you are not honest with yourself how can you expect to get better?
You can find similar blog advice on business development tools and FAQs.