Selling Secret - Drop the Pitch.

Are you selling something, or are you helping your prospect buy? This is a key question, because it frames the type of interaction you're preparing to have with your prospect. Think about this for a minute: why do consumers "hate" salespeople?

Because they don't want to be sold.

So, what's the big clue that you're trying to sell them something?

The Pitch.

The problem begins with your routines, and lives in your complacency, your lack of differentiation, your lack of creativity, and finishes with you missing opportunities without even realizing it. Why? You feel like you were smooth, you feel like you were polished, but you came off like a salesperson.

The prospect smelled your pitch, branded you a "nasty salesperson", got spooked, and tuned you out. They didn't listen to your features and benefits, they didn't give you honest answers.

How about a different approach? Consider getting to know the prospect. Consider finding out where they hurt. Consider learning about what's important to them. Consider telling them a compelling and relevant story. Yes, you should be seeking out and remembering relevant, compelling stories. Consider relating to your prospect.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with going into a sales meeting without a script. In fact, if you have a script, toss it. Using scripts makes you clumsy, it detracts from your ability to listen and steals your focus. Don't focus on what YOU want, focus on what THEY want. Then, and only then, can you begin to earn their trust. And trust, my friends, will close you more sales than any other tool in your bag. Of course, you'd better be worthy of that trust. If you're not, you're in the wrong business, friend.

So, drop the pitch, and get to know your prospect.

Happy Selling!

Shut up and Listen!

I remember the day I realized that I'd lost a deal that represented about $6000 in commissions. I was torn up, devastated, confused. Of course, it wasn't my fault. Clearly, the prospect was at fault because they didn't understand my pitch. They didn't realize my value proposition.

Upon further reflection, however, my understanding of the event evolved. I began to blame myself. However, I blamed myself for using too much jargon, for over-explaining, for confusing the prospect with language and overloading them with information. This too was wrong thinking.

The truth is, I didn't spend enough time listening to what was important to the prospect. In my eagerness to show how smart and useful I was, I ended up selling solutions that the prospect hadn't asked for. This is where I really took a wrong turn.

See, the prospect meets with you because they want to buy. They want to give you a chance. BUT - the onus is on YOU to spend some time finding out about the prospect. Who are they? What is important to them? What do they expect of you? Spend some time trying to gain an understanding of the problem that they're trying to solve. Then, and only then, can you truly begin to speak about things they want to hear about.

Listen, the fact of the matter is that they really want to buy. All you have to do is help them. But how can you help them if you don't really know what it is they're after? How can you fix a problem when you don't have a solid understanding of what that problem is, and how it affects the prospect?

Ask questions, and then shut up. Listen to the prospect. Encourage them to talk. Try to understand why they're there with you in the first place. If all else fails, and you're unable to get to the crux of the issue, don't sweat it. Spend some time relationship building, get to know them, and try again another day. Remember, relationship is everything. And they don't really care how much you know. They only want to know how much you care. Once they trust you, everything will work out just fine.

So relax. Think up some great questions, and then sit back, listen, and get to know your prospect a little better.