The Secret Of Selling (to Me)

Do you have a product you think Id enjoy? Are you looking to make your next cold call to Martyn Bassett Associates a little easier

? Are you simply curious about how the mind of a prospect works? Well, this is your lucky day.

A few weeks ago I was on a demo call with a sales rep whos only question seemed to be ...and how will this feature benefit you? Its a good question but I take enough sales calls and watch enough training videos to recognize the fundamentals when I hear them. Its one of the few things I have in common with the C-level prospects that your sales team really wants to be talking to.

So, in the interest of providing constructive feedback to the entire industry of sales, Im going to share with you the tips, tricks and tactics that work (on me) every time. You might be surprised who agrees with me.

1. Lighten The Mood

Sales calls make me a little tense. I know youre going to ask me a lot of questions and I want to seem competent. Ive probably researched your product and have a list of questions that Im trying not to forget about. Essentially, Im thinking more about myself than I am about you.

Cracking a joke or asking an unrelated question (other than Hows the weather?) reminds me that Im talking to another human, rather than a machine thats programmed to extract money from me as efficiently as possible.

2. Ditch The Script

Or write a really good one. This article was inspired by a call that failed to engage me because it felt like a paint-by-numbers sales call. We probably wont become BFFs but if talking to you is more interesting than maintaining the database Im probably going to keep doing it. Conversely, if youre on autopilot I'm probably not giving you my A-game, either.

3. Take It Slow

Your product probably has a lot of great features and you have a limited amount of time. I dont need you to draw me a diagram but setting a breakneck pace during a demo just reminds me that Im not your top priority. At least ask Does that make sense? every now and then to give me an opportunity to ask questions.

4. Call Me Out

Im probably not being completely honest with you. I might have decided that your product isnt the right fit but feel bad for wasting your time. I might have been listening politely because I had 20 minutes to kill before lunch. I might have questions but Im holding back because I dont want to look stupid. Either way, if you give me permission to be honest Im more likely to give you useful information.

Its not an invitation to jump down my throat or twist my arm into another call, but saying Just level with me... makes it infinitely more likely that Im going to tell you the whole story.

5. Take No For An Answer

This is more about maintaining the relationship once weve wrapped up the call. I know its your job to address objections and Im not interested. is a big one. On the other hand, once Ive decided on a course of action youre probably not going to talk me out of it by citing hypothetical situations. Correctly or not, I believe I know more about the company I work for than you do.

Make yourself a resource by offering to re-engage down the road to assess how things have developed. If its gone well Im going to want to brag to someone and if its going terribly Im probably open to a discussion about how to salvage the situation.

I always have been (and probably always will be) a better prospect than sales professional. The same is true for almost everyone youll be talking to. We prospects arent as complicated as you imagine but we do startle easily and were habitual liars. Be patient, be approachable and well warm up eventually.

by: Cody Pierson

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