SLH SALES SYSTEM SALES TRAINING MORSEL #47

THE

“SALES SEQUENCE”

DAVID RUBINSTEIN

EDITED BY

JIM OLSON

There has to be order in Sales. Name a profession where this isn’t true. Changing the oil in the car. Going to the dentist. In Apollo 13 when Tom Hanks keeps asking Ed Harris, “what’s the protocol?”

Too often Sellers tell me that they show up and the rest happens naturally – shoot from the hip. Actually, they take the role of “teller,” when being an “asker” makes much more sense.

I always do a role-play when Training called “water in the trench.” The Seller isn’t allowed to mention any gottems – product knowledge – in the exercise. I inform the Seller, “there’s water in my trench.” And ask, “what have you got that can get it out?” The initial move is to suggest a pump of some sort to get the job done. Of course, that’s not allowed, as there can be no mention of gottems. Frustration sometimes builds as the folks attempt to solve this puzzle. Finally, someone asks, “how much water is in the trench?” And, I indicate a thimble-sized amount of fluid. Aha! It becomes clear. Why would anyone need a pump to remove that little water?

Well, the problem is that in our haste to provide solutions for our clients we frequently fail to understand the true nature of the problem. How often do we go, “READY, FIRE, AIM?”

There’s an order to what we should be doing in front of our Buyers. It’s called the “Sales Sequence” and it goes like this:

• Sellers determine questions.
• Questions determine Needems.
• Needems determine Gottems.

Get your selling in order right now. Know what you’re going to ask before you get there and order will prevail.

Ready – Aim – Fire!

How much sense does that make?

Good Selling!

BLOG – http://selllikehellsales.blogspot.com/

SLH Sales System “Morsels” are meant exclusively for non-commercial use by the recipient. No modifications of any kind may be made without the written permission of SLH Sales System. To be removed from distribution list, simply reply accordingly.

SLH SALES SYSTEM SALES TRAINING MORSEL #46

LISTEN WELL AND

“FOLLOW THE BUYER”

DAVID RUBINSTEIN

EDITED BY

JIM OLSON

Every Sales Trainer talks about the need to develop listening skills. Many tips are given to accomplish this – focus on the speaker’s lips, repeat what’s being heard, take notes while conversing, etc.

I’ve found that improving listening skills goes hand-in-hand with asking the right questions. We talked about the importance of using “Protocols” – a prepared set of questions, in Morsel #17. Protocols enable us to focus on what the Buyer is saying. Asking the right question liberates us to listen better. 

Many factors go into conversing and truly comprehending what is being said – physical location, nature of the discourse, relationship with the people involved, whether people are happy, sad, or angry, etc. We need to be able to “mental multi-task.” Every time a Buyer says something, we have to make a split-second decision. Do we continue asking the questions we wanted to ask or do we “follow the Buyer,” and ask questions relevant to where the Buyer is taking the discussion? This has to happen at the speed of sound and needs to be smooth and flawless, which can only be done with practice, preferably through video-tape role-play.

When we use Protocols, we “ask and then listen.” When we follow the Buyer, we “listen and then ask.”

What do you think?

Good Selling to you!

BLOG – http://selllikehellsales.blogspot.com/

SLH Sales System “Morsels” are meant exclusively for non-commercial use by the recipient. No modifications of any kind may be made without the written permission of SLH Sales System. To be removed from distribution list, simply reply accordingly.