All too often I hear business owners say that a particular sales person they know has the “gift of the gab” and they assume that he/she is extremely “salesy” and that they must be good at selling.
Quite frankly, that is the furthest from the truth. Most of the time the talkative salesperson actually fails the number one rule in selling: FINDING OUT WHAT DOES THE PROSPECT WANT? They are so busy going through a flow of their own self-serving quotes and how everything means to them giving people ridiculous detail what happened to them whilst all along they are neglecting the most important person in this 2 person relationship, if anything is going to go forward – THE PROSPECT. As a respected mentor (Brad Sugars) told me, “you have 2 ears and one mouth, use them in the same proportion”.
In fact, if anything comes out of the salesperson’s mouth, it should be questions upon questions and further questions on the answers given until the prospect is totally clear that the salesperson is interested in them and that the solution they will summarise for them will be spot on as to what they perceive is important to them. It’s at this level that a crescendo happens and the buyer and seller meet at a common ground. If the salesperson is only after the sale, regardless of whether the seller believes in it, it’s time the salesperson moves onto to another company or product, one that he/she truly believes in. “Flogging” would have to be one of the most unpleasant form of salesmenship and for the busines owners who are either employers of salespeople or they are the salesperson of the company, the first step is to fall in love with what you do and what you sell, otherwise, get out, it’s not for you!!!
If anyone is interested in learning how to be super effective in selling and wants to understand and develop the flow of the sales process, please give me a call.
