Sales & Sales Management Newsletter
For Better Results, Goals & Success

Judo in Communication Increases Sales

Be sure to register today for our upcoming classes! Key Ingredients To Managing Your Workload November 8, 2006 2 to 3:30 DNA Sales Workshop December 6 & 7 Readers of this newsletter are invited to attend a FREE special archived WebX presentation on  "How to Build A Superior Sales Force" by Dave Kurlan author of two best selling books Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling. Additionally, Dave is the founder and President of Objective Management Group, the organization that provides our clients with Sales Assessments such as the Sales Candidate Screening, The Sales Team Overview and Sales Person Evaluation. During this session Dave will cover: * Right people in the right roles for the right reason * Pipeline Management * Role of Sales Management * Over Achievers * Recruiting Register Now!

Situation

Billy Bob is a 15-year-old sales veteran, schooled in the traditional sales model. He always had a difficult time understanding why his prospects dictated the rules of engagement. Billy Bob attended numerous “sun tan” training events on how to prospect and close with great techniques and phrases like, “If I could show you a way to fix that problem would you buy from me today?” He felt these techniques must be effective since every one who was responsible for training and coaching him used the same ones. He just could not understand why they would not work for him.

Problem

In general, most salespeople are fairly predictable and, as a result buyers usually dictate the rules of engagement. Buyers (most who attend buying school) seem to recognize the standard fare being served them and have developed a sixth sense to counter act the onslaught. Let’s analyze this in our day-to-day activities.

You get up in the morning and tie the knot on your tie. Or you tie the shoelaces on your shoes. Better yet you button your shirt or blouse. Did you have to stop and think about how to do each of these very routine tasks? No, you just do it; just like brushing your teeth it is a routine.

You do not have to think how you will do routine tasks like making a left turn it’s just a routine you get yourself into each day. Well guess what, when a client or prospect deals with you the salesperson they go on autopilot and their “routine response” takes over. They respond in a “knee jerk” reaction to any one they perceive selling them something. And what are worse, sales people who are so predictable they continue to reinforce the bad habits of the buyers.

Solution

Starting today, do not act like a salesperson. Start with a fresh meaningful mindset that says you are there to find business needs and wants in and around improving revenues, decreasing costs and allocation of assets. You are willing to walk away from any one who doe not earn your continued participation in a two-way business-to-business conversation. Next use some “DNA JUDO” and leverage the statements and comments by prospects against them by using a simple tactic called “pattern interrupt”.

Here are a few examples:

• Connecting by phone:  “Sounds like I caught you at a bad time?”

• Setting Rules of Engagement: “It’s OK to say no if we do not have a fit”

• Buyer Seduction: Use your judo and say, ‘Really, I had no idea the impact or cost was that significant.”

• Qualifying an issue: Wow I am kind of confused; can you help me understand why that is so important to your company at this time?
  
  
• And my absolute favorite from Dave Kurlan in his book “Baseline Selling
  ”Upon receiving a Quote or RFP “If there were a more effective way to solve your problem, and it would not cost you any more money, would you want to know about that?”