Shred Your Sales Books!
My best takeaway from the Sales Skills for MBA's event in New York was from one of the participants who introduced herself in the Q & A as "not being a sales person".
She made the comment that she now understood that sales is in fact quite simple. "It comes down to being human and interacting with your buyer as another human being".
I agree 120%. I think many of us who have "officially" worked in sales have been "polluted" over time with misinformation that appeared in some of the early sales books...particularly those terrible closing techniques.
Many of these techniques pay no respect to the buyer as being an intelligent human being. And if you have ever been in the buyer’s shoes and had someone try one of these techniques on you, you know how annoying they can be.
Obviously I do think there are many legitimate things to learn to become a great professional sales person but there are also a lot of things that some of us would be better off forgetting.
So let's shred a few of those old sales books today!
Comments
Interesting blog. I work in construction related software sales. I spend a lot of time on the phone, and in front of potential clients in the construction industry. Constantly, I seek out knowledge to give me an edge of confidence while on an appt. I've read all the classics, all the closing books, prospecting books, etc. However, I feel I am at my best, when I am able to bring myself to the level of the client, and act as if I'm there friend looking at jaguars with them at a car lot. As opposed to trying to sell them one. I've memorized closing questions, and tried to implement them, but they are always a bit salesy for me. The key for me is to be the expert in my industry. If I can answer every question the customer has, without speaking in circles, and offer something eye brow raising at the same time, or "aha's" as I've read, then I know I have a chance of closing. In fact the simple word closing, to me is becoming extinct. You close when the prospect is educated to your product, and financially ready to make the investment, not after you quote a statement from glengary glenn ross.
Posted by: pj | July 26, 2006 04:59 PM