Stop Selling, Start Engaging
It’s Q2 for some companies. Probably end of the year for others.
If you are a Sales or Business Development Executive you just have 20 days to hit your goal!
For some sales managers and executives, money is already in the pocket. For others it’s going to be that one back hand base line shot which has to get past Novak Djokovic!
Meanwhile, have you ever wondered why some top notch sales pros have their quota in control while still others are chasing the wild goose?
Based on my past experience (having won and lost deals) and having talked to many successful sales professionals, there is just one difference between both the camps.
The ones who are super successful have always engaged their clients. While the other camp was selling hard to impress and win.
While most of the companies have a methodology to manage their selling process, what they often lack is that the sales executives are not trained to handle their emotions, learn to manage stress, take time to uncover deeper client needs, understand the nature of a deal, map stake holder interests, navigate buying influences and offer a great buying experience to their clients.
This calls for tons of EQ skills (complimenting sales skills) which is often shooed away as a soft skill.
Selling is now a different ball game. As buyers get more connected, have access to all kind of relevant information and have more sales people chasing them – the sales executives who really connect, engage and offer great buying experience to their clients will have an edge.
Here are the top ten things that Sales professionals need to Start and Stop doing.
Stop doing:
Playing your agenda in a client meeting and not listening with intent (poor listening skills).
Within the first 5 minutes, be impulsive and start dumping your product or service pitch onto the client (impulsive tendencies).
Just to keep busy, chase opportunities that are not going to close and waste resources (lacking confidence and accepting reality).
Assume that the client knows their need and are able to define the problem in the first meeting (impulsive and lack curiosity).
Qualifying an opportunity superficially without exploring real needs (impulsive and lacking gumption).
Working with prospects who are not committed to their own success (lacking in judgement).
Developing a weak value proposal (that has no emotional appeal).
Selling price. Not value.
Get shopped on price. (lack of belief)
Start doing:
Be real world and authentic.
Be more aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Find out if you have any limiting behaviour that might come in the way (e.g.: impulsiveness, lack of assertion).
Be pro-active and get early into the buying cycle. Be the first one to educate the client. That’s where the maximum value and credibility is built.
Plan your call well. Make it meaningful for both you and the prospect.
Learn to connect with buyers by walking in their shoes. Not yours.
First build rapport and trust with buyers. Their needs, career and aspirations matter more than your quota, product or services.
Uncover hidden and real needs by asking powerful questions. Don’t ration it.
Discover potential problems before the prospect brings it up. It needs loads of empathy to do that.
Genuinely care for your clients.
Continuously learn.
Acknowledging the fact that often the lack of EQ skills derail a good sales conversation and puts a heavy toll in slowing deal momentum, we at Agility Nexus have launched a Sales Boot Camp that focuses on ironing out the limiting behaviour and EQ short falls in sales professionals.
The boot camp is designed for Sales Professionals in IT industry focussed on IT Services, Software OEMs, System Integrators and Managed Services.
There is going to be tons of role plays, simulated client interviews, video recording to capture communication and behavioural nuances and plenty of expert talks.
If you are keen to iron out the chinks in your armour by practicing and honing your skills in a Sales EQ lab – give us a shout.
And by the way – Stop Selling and Start Engaging.
Image courtesy: www.istockphoto.com
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