Why are most sales people always selling?
Why does the role call for a specific agenda to be played out when a customer is engaged with “make the sale” or “heat ’em up for the close” as the prime objective?
Typically, to push for the sale requires a sales agenda-driven conversation to be one-way FROM the sales person TO the customer. In this dynamic, the salesperson is not strongly motivated to hear what the customer’s issues are and to probe in detail what solutions might be required.
The prime agenda is to push hard for the product sale because their bonus is tied to flogging success.
The “push agenda” is asymmetric which does not augur well for a long term relationship with the customer and an annuity stream of profitable revenue.
Customers appreciate symmetry: an outcome where they are not badgered to buy. They appreciate a call from someone in sales with absolutely no explicit agenda other than to check in and find out how things are going.
“How’s it going?” sales calls deliver these benefits:
Customer learning. You learn something about the customer that you can exploit later. The power in knowing something “intimate” about someone cannot be overstated. Customer “secrets” are the triggers for a healthy long term relationship and continuous referrals to others.
More transactions. Knowing more about a customer naturally begets selling more. The sales power is in what you know and how you can leverage this knowledge into a solution sale. The sales techniques you were taught aren’t all that effective if you don’t know what the customers problems and issues are.
Humanity demonstrated. To actually make the conversation and end game all about THEM and not your organization has an amazing upside. It breeds trust and respect with the salesperson, and lays the framework for a long and profitable relationship.
Obligation. When you consistently demonstrate your undying commitment to the customer they actually feel duty-bound to return the favor by buying from you. It’s a natural human reaction to someone who actually does something FOR them with no apparent strings attached.
Competitive advantage. Few other organizations ask sales to perform the “How’s it going call”, which makes yours stand out in the crowd if you do it well. The Call gives you a strategic advantage by embracing it.
To be The ONLY sales team placing “How’s it going?” calls effectively will definitely get noticed in the market and will get you business at the expense of your competitors.
Your boss might not agree that The Call is the right sales tactic to employ; they might feel that “How’s it going?” produces no economic return. In fact there are pundits that express this view.
Having directed many sales teams to include The Call in their regular duties and witnessed the truly amazing success in terms of customer loyalty and revenue growth, I’m here to tell you that The Call works.
Try it. What do you have to lose?
Oh yeah, face time to flog. Really?
Pipeliner CRM empowers salespeople to communicate the right things to prospects. Get your free trial of Pipeliner CRM now.
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