Over the past, five to ten years, selling strategies have undergone a philosophical change from manipulative, pressure-based sales tactics to a more consultative relationship-based approach. For most of us in sales, It should be conventional wisdom that to be successful in 2020, sellers need to care about their customers, the outcomes they deliver, and the relationships they nurture; before, after, and during the sales cycle.
However, relationships alone aren’t going to be enough. Sure, you can experience a certain level of success, but it will take more prospects, more touches, and more effort to find those buyers we “hit-it-off-with” and who need our service.
If you want to earn the business of a more difficult buyer, those who aren’t relationship-driven, but results-driven, like drivers and analytical’s, over amiable’s or expressive’s, you’ll need sound sales ability and practiced methods.
To help you achieve more success in 2020, I’m introducing you to five sales methods you can add to your relationship-based selling mindset to become a more rounded salesperson. With that said, the key to the effectiveness of these methods is founded within your intentions. If your buyers perceive you to be “working them” through the use of sales tactics, the trust will be lost, relationships will be lost, and the sale will be lost.
Being that this is an introduction to these effective and foundational sales methods; it’s wise to seek additional information, to learn more about these topics, and to start implementing these naturally into your conversations. Keyword, naturally. Sales conversations must be organic, unforced, and without deception. They must be founded in authentic principles, with honest intentions, to help buyers solve problems and to improve their business.
Utilizing Sales Methods To Advance and Earn Customers
Progressive Questioning
The definition of progressive is “happening or developing gradually or in stages; proceeding step by step,” and that’s precisely how you should approach the discovery portion of the sales cycle. Questions lead to understanding for both you and the buyer. It’s your ability to ask great questions that uncover problems, solutions to those problems, and the buyer’s urgency for taking action on them.
Neil Rackham developed a sound method for progressive questioning in his book Spin Selling, where he explains how Situation questions help sellers understand facts about the buyer, how Problem questions help buyers to uncover problems, how Implication questions help buyers realize the impact of those problems, and how Need-payoff questions help buyers see value in solving them.
As sellers, we should be using questions to advance the sales cycle naturally, leading our buyers on a journey to solving their problem.
Active Listening
Listing is hearing what’s said; active listening is working to understand what’s said. When you’re actively listening to the buyer, you’re peeling the onion back, diving deeper into what’s said, seeking to understand before being understood, showing empathy, and reassuring the buyer that you’re paying attention.
Active listening requires actions on the part of the seller, using verbal and non-verbal communication to further dialogue. It involves asking questions, being genuinely interested, and using well-timed pauses that give your buyer space to elaborate.
When you care about your buyer and have a genuine interest and curiosity to learn more, some of this will come more naturally. However, there’s still much to be aware of that can be unnatural, requiring practice and experience.
Directional Storytelling
As mentioned previously, selling strategies have undergone a significant shift over the past several years. Selling is no longer about product demonstrations and manipulative sales strategy.
Selling is much more about narrative and connecting buyers to outcomes through the use of stories. Our stories help advance buyers through a journey that relates past experiences to current situations — showing how we’ve previously helped customers solve problems or by placing buyers into the story, enabling them to envision the benefits of our outcomes.
I chose the word “Directional” because it means; relating to or indicating the direction in which someone or something is situated, moving, or developing, having a particular direction of motion, progression, or orientation.
The stories we tell should advance the buyer through the sales cycle while satisfying questions, misconceptions, or objections, and keeping us on a path towards an earned customer.
Answering Objections
Objections, or as I like to categorize them, “questions, misconceptions, and objections,” are a natural part of any sales conversation. It’s a good sign to receive feedback from the customer, whether positive or negative, as it means their thinking of pros and cons, and weighing options.
With that said, you’ll need to answer those objections in a way that satisfies the customer and advances the conversation. There’s a process to be followed that involves clarifying and fully understanding their objection. We do that through progressive questioning, active listening, and storytelling.
The key to answering any objection is to understand the objection fully. Never take an objection at face-value, instead, seek to understand and ask for clarity around the objection. A simple question like, “could you help me understand that a bit further?” would prompt a buyer to explain themselves and bring us closer to the real and complete objection.
Value Negotiation
Here’s the hard and simple truth. Some buyers, many buyers, are in it for themselves. Relationship selling is awesome when both parties are equally invested in the relationship, respect one another, and want to arrive at win/win deals. However, that’s not always the case, and some buyers will look to squeeze you for every penny they can. Why? Because some buyers are trained salespeople taught to win for their company.
Should we walk away from these customers? Why? They’re not bad people; they have a job to perform, to get the best deal for their company. I’ve developed great relationships with purchasers like this, but they started through negotiation, and the relationship earned over time.
Value negotiation, in its simplest terms, means that concessions must be made to lower prices. We either remove some form of value from our end of the deal to meet the desired price, or we ask for additional value from the buyer to justify the lowering of our price; like cash payments, longer commitments, or higher quantities.
Look, we need to protect our profits if we want to grow business. We have a right to earn a fair price for our products and services. As sellers, we need to justify those prices to our buyers during the sales process by adequately demonstrating value. With that said, sales almost always take on some form of negotiation.
Be A Great Person Who Is Also A Great Salesperson
I’m all-in on relationship selling. I firmly believe that we need to be in it for the success of others, helping them to achieve a better quality of life through the value we bring as sellers. We make a difference. Selling is something we do for and with our customers. When we believe in ourselves and the outcomes we deliver, it’s in the customer’s best interest that we come fully prepared to help them realize desired outcomes. That takes a well-rounded, educated, practiced, and motivated seller that understands how to use the combination of heart and methods to help buyers… buy.