Sales Blog with Sales Tips

As sales professionals we constantly put a positive spin on our company and its products and services. We can’t help ourselves; it’s how we’re wired. We’ve been trained to do this since our first days as sales pups.

While this habit is admirable and ingrained in our psyche, there are times when we need to set it aside.

The power of positive speaking won’t always give us the results we’re looking for.

Here’s How I Got In Trouble
I’ll never forget a sales presentation I made to a group of telecom engineers. I was new to sales and felt like I was at the top of my game. I was prepared, presented well and hit all the points I wanted to cover. That PowerPoint was the culmination of all the best sales tips I had ever heard.

But I made a major mistake.

I failed to tailor my presentation to the audience and covered only the points I wanted to cover.

Sales Tips 101: Not All Audiences Are Created Equal
Whenever we go into the “salesy” mode with engineers and their ilk, they immediately hit their cerebral off-switches. Why? They have little need to feel good about a purchase. They want to objectively weigh the positives and negatives before buying.

They want facts.

There’s A Place For Negatives
People who primarily operate in the world of hard data want to hear the good, the bad and the ugly. They won’t make a decision if they hear only one side of the equation.

Wouldn’t we prefer that our customers and potential customers hear the bad and the ugly from us rather than our competitors anyway?

When I was speaking to those telecom engineers I needed to give them both sides of the t-chart. They would have at least listened to a balanced and accurate assessment of my product’s strengths and weaknesses.

Instead, they didn’t process a word I said.

The Paradox
Ironically, when we reveal a product or service weakness it gives us more credibility. This is especially true for technical audiences.

They assume if we’re willing to divulge a weakness, we might be worthy of their trust.

They might really listen to what we have to say as a result. Now, we’re talking their language.

©2010 Scott R. Sheaffer

Find a New Sales Job

I have an engineer friend, Steve, who uses a phrase that could be a candidate for one of the best sales tips I know.

“Don’t put the ‘buddy cap’ on.”

When he uses this expression he is referring to people who act as if they’re your best friend long before they’ve earned the right.

He’s offended when people do this to him. I agree with his sentiments.

Examples From Sales
I continually see this kind of superficiality in sales professionals. The following are real examples from cold calls I’ve overheard or have received:

“We need to catch up on things at lunch.”
“As a friend I…”
“Hi buddy, do you have a second to talk to me about…”

Prospects are on high alert for this kind of facade. It produces precisely the opposite effect of what’s desired.

It instantly labels the salesperson as disingenuous, manipulative and shallow. The prospect immediately feels a need for more distance. Not good.

The Real Formula For Rapport
In our personal relationships, we build genuine connections by showing an interest in people and helping them when they need us. Doing so creates a genuine bond over time with our friends.

Our relationships in sales are no different. This should come as no surprise since we’re dealing with people in both cases. I’m from the “people are people whether at work or home” school of thought. Sometimes we forget this.

While I’m On The Subject
While I’m on the subject of insincerity in sales, let me close with one of the most objectionable verbalizations when cold calling:

“How are you doing?”

The person on the receiving end immediately translates these words to, “I want something from you and I could not possibly care less about how you’re actually doing.”

Not a great way to plant the seed of a relationship. Remove, “How are you doing?” from your sales vernacular. Some of the best sales tips are those that tell you what to eliminate.

Sales Blog Verdict
We’re not a prospect’s best friend the first time we contact them. Both parties know this.

Helping prospects with their needs over time is the formula for legitimate interpersonal connections.

There is no shortcut.

©2010 Scott R. Sheaffer

Find a New Sales Job

All sales professionals sound the same. I’m serious. We seem to all pull our conversations from the same verbal bag.

No wonder prospects (and even our established customers) don’t want to talk to us. Even a good song played too many times will eventually become unappetizing.

But how do sales professionals get in this habit?

First, A Story About A Child And A War Hero
I was in a department store recently and saw a man whose legs were both missing. I did what every adult would do and took my one allowed stare and then looked away.

A child whom I would guess was about 5 years old took another tack. She walked right up to the man and said, “What happened to your legs?” The man in the wheelchair very calmly and proudly answered her question, explaining he had lost them in a war fought in Iraq. She nodded her head indicating she understood and walked away.

A non-event for both parties. The child’s mother did not interfere. The wisdom of a mother.

What Just Happened?
There was a desire for information from the little girl and she engaged the man. Simple enough.

Unlike the little girl, we frequently struggle to converse honestly and openly with prospects and customers. We resort to scripted and safe conversations that have worked for us in the past. Over time, we start to sound like every other salesperson on the planet.

We’re at best putting our customers to sleep or, even worse, annoying them with our “salesy” dribble.

How Did We Get Into This Habit?

• Boredom
• Laziness
• Fear
• Bad training
• Reliance on scripts or canned responses/questions
• “It’s working okay.”
• “It’s what I’ve always done.”

Start Thinking Like A Child
Inject a childlike freshness and fearlessness into your communications with your customers. Start talking to your customers at a core level.

Your new openness will enhance the quality of your customer relationships. They will view you as more real and straightforward.

You’ll stand out from the crowd.

©2010 Scott R. Sheaffer