Let Go of Unproductive Behavior

This is a Sandler Weekly Sales Tip from guest poster Shulman & Associates.

The STORY:

“The best sales thing I ever did,” said Melinda between sips of soup at lunch, “was give up trying to reach a dollar goal.”

Bob stared with a shocked expression on his face.  “Sure,” he said, “you who could coast for a year on what you’ve closed in the last fourteen months.  Easy for you to say.”

“I suppose you could say that, but that’s not how I got to where I am.”

“Come on; get real.  It’s me, Bob.  Remember we both started the same day three years ago?”

“Sure,” she replied, “I remember.  I also remember that for the first year, I had a sign hanging up on my bathroom mirror that had the monthly amount I needed to make on it.”

“Yeah, and you hit it more often than not.”

“Yes, I did.  But that’s when I discovered something else more important.”

“What’s that?”

“That not a single prospect or customer gave a damn whether I reached it or not.  As far as they were concerned, there were 10 other salespeople selling the same thing; I just happened to get there first.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“I just did; you just don’t want to hear it.”

“What?”

“Here, I’ll make it simple for you.  They don’t care about me, but I need their money.  To get their money, I have to give them something they need.  The more energy and time I can spend on their needs, the more I can give them.  The more I give them, the more money they give me.”

“Hate to admit it, I still don’t get it.”

“You’re thick.  I have a new sign on my bathroom mirror.  It reads, ‘What prospect needs have you discovered today?'”

“And this makes you more money.”

“Who’s the one, as you put it, who could coast for the rest of the year?”

“A low shot, Melinda, a low shot.  Finish the soup.”

The RESULT:

Melinda has discovered for herself that no matter what she wants, her customers and prospects are the ones who put money in her bank account.  The only Melinda behavior that counts is what makes those deposits happen more and more often.

DISCUSSION:

Why do some salespeople insist on using a certain pen?  Why do some have a lucky tie?  Why are others convinced morning appointments are “closable” and afternoon appointments a waste of time?

Simple.  At some point in time, a sale was made and a certain pen was used.  Or, that blue tie was worn when the Jones account closed for seven figures.  All of these could be dismissed as salespeople exhibiting superstitious behavior.  Unfortunately it’s not that minor.

All of these beliefs have a common element underlying them.  In essence, the reason the sale closed had nothing to do with the customer’s need or had nothing to do with the ability as a salesperson; the sale closed for some other reason.

What other reason is there?  If the customer didn’t need what was being sold, would the tie make the slightest bit of difference?  If the customer did have the need but the salesperson was a bumbling idiot, would the felt tip pen matter at all?

APPROACH:

Ask yourself a question.  Do the prospects care whether I put money in the bank or not?  Are they going to stay up all night worrying about my personal financial condition?  Probably not.  Why should they?  Absolutely no reason in the world they should.

Consider this line of thought.  Why should I waste my sales time thinking how much this sale would mean to me if I made it?  My prospect doesn’t care about my needs; he only cares about his needs.  If I take time to think about my needs, that’s time away from answering the needs of my prospect.  That lessens the chance of the sale being made.

Thus, the more of my time I can devote to my prospect’s needs, the more sales I will make.  Seems pretty simple.  It is.

Does each task or behavior you engage in during the sales day solve a prospect’s need?  If they do, you have let go of unproductive behavior.  If there is any behavior done during the sale day that does not attempt to solve a prospect’s need, it should be done on non-sales time.

What’s non-sale time?  Those are the hours when you could not possibly make a sale.

THOUGHT:

Does a salesperson put money in the bank by focusing on a monthly sales amount or by closing sales?  Pick one or the other.

About the author:

Shulman & Associates is a professional development firm specializing in sales and management training and sales force evaluation. Visit their website and sign up to receive the free sales tip of the week. Learn how to increase sales, improve margins, and accelerate new business development.

source http://www.commence.com/blog/2018/01/18/let-go-of-unproductive-behavior/