You Don't Have To Have The Right Answer
Too many salespeople are worried about saying the right thing instead of being someone worth talking to.
Think about what this does to your conversations, your connections, and your relationships. It's like participating in a conversation by waiting for your turn to speak instead of listening to what the other person is saying. Actually, it's a lot like that.
I think this comes from a false sense of urgency, which is rooted in an old school mentality. You don't need to make the sale right now. Don't force it.
Yet, because of all that technology offers, and the zeitgeist surrounding one-click purchases, automated funnels, and decision trees, selling feels like it's becoming more transactional. As if it has to become more transactional.
I don't think it does.
At its core, selling is about solving problems. While it's conceptually very simple to go out and find people or companies with the exact problem to which you have the solution, in reality, it's often a lot more complex than that, isn't it? Either you find that a really good prospect doesn't have exactly the problem you seek to solve, or you find that your solution is applicable in ways you may not have originally considered.
This is where the selling actually starts.
What if you thought about your sales calls as conversations rather than pitches? What if you didn't begin the conversation with some preconceived notion of how it was going to end? What if instead of preparing for the call with what you are going to say, you think about what you're going to ask?
How do you start a great conversation? One where the recipient is engaged? It's not likely that you can do so by making a statement. The best way to engage someone is to ask them a really good question.
Good questions uncover problems.
Good questions uncover solutions.
Good questions uncover motives.
Good questions uncover good conversations.
It becomes pretty clear, pretty quickly, that good questions are the key to good selling.
When you ask questions that nobody else will ask, you learn things that nobody else will learn. When you learn things that nobody else will learn, you can solve problems that nobody else can solve. When you can solve problems that nobody else can solve, you will make sales that nobody else will make.
A pitch is one-sided, while a conversation goes both ways. It's interactive. There's engagement by both parties. It's cooperative and memorable. Almost all of the pitches you've ever heard are forgettable, even the good ones. But a great conversation leaves you inspired.
Would you rather your prospects think of you as forgettable or inspiring?
Stop trying to pitch, and worrying about saying the perfect thing at the perfect time. Stop worrying about having the right answer, and start trying to ask the right questions.
Stop telling, and start selling.
Join the conversation in the Rethink The Way You Sell Community.
Jeff Bajorek
Real. Authentic. Experience.
There’s a big difference between knowing how to sell and being able to. Jeff Bajorek spent over a decade in the field as a top performer. He’s been in your shoes. He knows what it will take. He can help you succeed.
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