I have to admit that I’m a skeptic. I don’t give much weight to palm readers and crystal ball types.

Sales is no different for me. There really is no “magic” when it comes to sales superstars. There is always a formula for their success. Always.

I’m going to share a piece of their “abracadabra” below.

But First…
Before I write any further, I’d like to bring your attention to a new addition to my sales tips blog, Scott’s Inbox. It provides a video venue for me to answer readers’ questions. You may have noticed that I started including these a few weeks ago.  Just click on my photo to start today’s 1 minute video.

Today’s Scott’s Inbox is a little different because I’ll be introducing you to my best friend and sales tips consultant. You may be a bit surprised who it is. I’ve mentioned him a few times before in this sales blog.

Back To The Abracadabra Thing
Why is it that rainmakers (i.e. sales superstars) have such high close rates and always seem to be in the right place at the right time? Is it magic? Hardly.

Rainmakers know when they call on a prospect company that the decision maker will be in one of four situations:

1. The decision maker has just had a new hand dealt to him or her that is disruptive. It could be a budget change, need for a new product or service, time frame change, etc.

2. The decision maker is unhappy with the performance of his or her current supplier(s). We all know there are a million reasons this can happen.

3. The decision maker has recently changed. When this happens, we know this is a golden window of opportunity.

4. The decision maker is happy with the status quo.

How To Make It Work For You
To ascertain which of the above four states the decision maker is currently in is the challenge. You have to find out where he or she is coming from within the first 30 seconds of your call. If you can place them in category 1, 2 or 3, the decision maker will have a reason to give you more time. You’ll also accurately know where to direct the conversation.

Every industry will have different questions that can be asked to identify which category fits the decision maker you’re talking to. These are normally closed-ended types of questions. You already have this list, right?

I constantly preach about researching prospects before contacting them the first time. One of the best tools for this is Google Alerts (see Further sales tips reading below). It’s a perfect tool because it alerts you to new information about a company just as it is happening.

Sales Tips Wrap Up
However, nothing is free. For this to help you reach rainmaker status, you’ll have to spend time developing your cold calling skills. You’ll need a razor sharp set of qualifying questions that are tailored to the prospect. You’ll have to research your prospects before calling.

However, the payoff will be huge. Some studies suggest a 5X improvement in closing rates. Abracadabra.

Further sales tips reading:
A Powerful Sales Tool You’ll Use Every Day – And It’s Free
7 Sales Tips For Getting To Decision Makers

>You can automatically receive Sales Tips Blog by Scott R. Sheaffer >by email< or >by RSS<.
>Follow >Scott R. Sheaffer< on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.
>©2010 Scott R. Sheaffer

Scott Sheaffer’s New Book, “Comatose Management”
—
Six Short Stories of Destructive Management Practices, Volume I
—
Available in printed and Kindle edition on amazon.com
—
—

Related posts:

1. Digital Sales Proposals
2. How “Connectors” Help You Develop New Business
3. Are You Asking This Powerful Qualifying Question?
4. What The Coast Guard Can Teach Us About Recession Selling Versus Boom Time Selling
5. An Intriguing And Current Selling Paradox

Tags: closing, Prospecting, prospects, sales advice, skills

We'd like to hear your feedback on this post - feel free to comment below!