Productivity Tips Newsletter
For Better Results, Goals & Success

Subject: Sales Development Dilemma

Situation
Sue, the sales leader was beginning the new selling year just as frustrated as the many years before. This was despite the fact the whole sales team attended a solution selling workshop the year before. She kept asking herself why if the solution selling methodology of asking questions, building trust and control of the sales process before a presentation was the best sales model her team continued to struggle. Yes, a few could do it successfully but most continued to struggle. She kept wondering why this model doesn't produce more consistent results.

Problem
What is happening to Sue’s sales team is typical push back from a profession that comes with a built in fear of rejection and reluctance to do the job. Yes, the sales profession where 80% of the people who enter into the selling profession leave within the first few years. Why do so many feel trapped, complacent and just burned out? When Sue did some research she discovered that the sales profession was the largest user of  motivational training. Only the Armed Forces came close to this enormous expenditure of training dollars. For the solution selling model to work effectively you have to address three fronts, mindset/believes, behaviors and the selling system itself.

Now here is the dilemma the old traditional sales model is based on the premise of persuasion and aggressiveness. So even if Sue’s sales team wanted to remain locked into the old model situations, circumstances and events have changed so much that it is no longer profitable to convince and persuade prospects to buy what they don’t need and WANT. With advice from her trusted sales advisor Sue decided to tackle the most glaring issue before her; mindset/believes. Sue isolated the following mindset/believes:

“Our products and services are great and everybody in our target market needs and wants them”
Therefore,
“When they hear how good our stuff is, they’ll want it”
But,
“If they don’t want it I have failed.”
Therefore,
“I need to work harder at convincing them to buy.

This scarcity mindset/believe will produce premature presentations which can result in aggressive overselling, talking too much and not actively listening. Even if your solutions are the best not everyone needs and wants them right now. And just once consider the possibility that your competition is not as bad as you think.

Solution
Sue immediately addressed this situation by posting and discussing these rules for selling that will influence the mindset/believe of her team.

Not everyone needs what you are selling. That is right, not everyone is a prospect. So if you have qualified thoroughly and they do not need and want you stuff no is okay. Ask yourself: “Do they really need and want my solution or do I need and want them to buy?”

There must be mutual trust for a relationship to be successful. When the prospect does not trust you, he/she may mislead you as a defense mechanism. You should know: “Is what I am doing now increasing or decreasing trust?”