Many business owners have expressed their dislike for making sales calls to prospects. A few negative emotions that are common among these professionals are fear and insecurity as well as feelings of being burdened, inauthentic and flustered. Making sales calls using a traditional method can be a painful struggle.
Did you know that by simply changing your mindset and ditching the traditional and linear sales models, the sales conversation experience can be a positive one?
Keep reading to learn the seven sales conversation secrets that even the sales gurus don’t know.
Before even making your sales call, I would bet that your mind is already on making the sale and winning over the potential client. The problem with this is that the listener can immediately sense your agenda and is ready to dismiss what you are saying.
How can you build a trust-based conversation if your focus is not on the right things? Well, you can’t. Practice shifting your mental focus by thinking “When I make this call, I will build trust and have a conversation based on an exchange of information to determine if there is a fit.”
How many times have you received a phone call where someone says “Hello,” states their name and then proceeds to tell you what solutions their company offers?
I would bet that you were thinking…” Uh-oh another salesperson who is trying to sell me something, how do I get off the phone.” This traditional approach has immediately triggered a negative “salesperson” stereotype in your mind, and you are ready to build a wall.
Understanding the mindset of the potential client will break barriers and build trust avoiding rejection.
Business owners were taught to push their solutions very quickly in sales conversations. Pitching your solution first without learning the truth about what the potential client truly needs, is a real problem. When people feel understood, they remain open to talking and sharing valuable information with you.
Try and think of two or three specific core problems that you can mutually explore while having a natural conversation and allowing them to take you down their path.
Let’s remember the purpose of a sales conversation is to create a two-way dialogue which is relaxed and engaging. Don’t set up the listener for a yes or no response.
The new mindset while on these calls is to have natural conversation with potential clients, speaking to them as if they were a friend, not a prospect.
You do not know yet if the potential client will be a fit with what you are selling. Learn to stay focused on the dialogue to determine where the relationship will go.
An effective way to start your sales conversation is with a simple question. “Hi my name is___. Maybe you can help me out for a moment?” When you ask this, you are being truthful and honest because you really don’t know if you can help the potential client or not.
Do not launch into a sales pitch about what you can offer the listener, instead step into their world to learn if they are “grappling” with any issues. Let go of your personal goals and focus on addressing the real problem using your potential client’s language.
Hidden sales pressures can take on many forms. One way to make certain that your prospect puts up a wall in your sales conversation is by being overly enthusiastic. Over enthusiasm tells them that you know you already assume you are a good fit for them, and this creates sales pressure.
Moving them along each step of your sales process is also another way to lose them to sales pressure. Let the conversations evolve naturally and use checkpoints to assess if there is a fit between you and the prospect.
Let’s suppose you are having a productive sales conversation with good dialogue, and you are reaching a natural conclusion. Now what? The old way of thinking would be to panic and react by trying to quickly close the sale.
Finding out if the prospect’s need is a top priority is crucial. You need to both determine if there is a problem that you can solve. Knowing this early avoids wasting valuable time chasing down a ghost.
– Use Scripts
– Focus on Your Own Goal
– Assume You are a Fit
– Pitch your Solution First
– Be Overly Enthusiastic
– “Trust Based Selling”
