One of my favorite sales techniques/tools is knowing the buyer and seller styles and knowing how to adapt your style to meet that of your buyer.  To me, just knowing this one powerful selling tool can have a tremendous impact on a salesperson. Although this knowledge comes in many forms and has many names (personality types, behavioral styles, social styles etc.) I have found that there is one system that works well for sales people and it is called DISC. DISC stands for 4 certain types of people – Dominant, Influencer, Steady Relater and Cautious Thinker. Each of these types come with their own set of characteristics.  They communicate differently, operate differently, and build relationships differently just to name a few.  If a salesperson is able to identify the style of his/her buyer then they have a much better chance of communicating with and building a stronger relationship with him or her. I just wanted to share a little bit about each type to get your familiar with them.

Dominants

Extroverted

Influencers

Steady Relaters

Cautious Thinkers

These are just a few description words to help you start to idenify the different styles. I will be following up on this topic shortly with other rules and tactics to help you use this information in a beneficial way. Until then, have fun with this knowledge! Try to see what type your friends and co-workers are. Maybe – just maybe – it will help you understand why there are just some people out there that operate differently than you do.

Until next time!

Sales Executives playing tug-of-war

Selling is a funny profession.  We are taught to be enthusiastic, to ask questions, and to always be closing.  Yet that is the behavior of a “stereotypical” salesperson and for certain personality types is the worst thing you could do.  You know, the fast-talking, polyester-wearing, used-car-selling, snake-oil-hawking, I-only-care-about-my-commission type.  This kind of behavior only forces the prospect into a defensive posture, causing the “tug-of-war” game to begin!

If you don’t have a consultative sales process and don’t adjust to different buying styles (i.e., personality types), then you have a 19-58% chance of blowing your opportunity in the first few minutes.

To be successful, it is critical that you have a consultative sales process.  Some call this collaborative selling or diagnostic selling but the point is a good sales process is beneficial for both the prospect and the salesperson.  I have always found it odd that many sales organizations have no sales process or don’t follow the one they have defined. That is like a football team without a playbook!

Do you know the steps of your sales process?

I remember doing an analysis of a sales organization that had thirty sales reps.  They had been through a two-year certification process with a well-known sales training company. When I asked them if they had been certified, they all said “Yes.”  So I said, “Ok, let’s do a pop quiz.  Pull out a sheet of paper and write down the nine steps of that sales process.”  Not one person in the room could name even three steps of the process, even after I let them work in pairs!

That was a painful pop quiz because it showed they did not know the basics.  It was like giving a ball to a child who’s been to baseball camp and saying, “Throw me the ball,” and he says, “Do what?”

Professional salespeople know their sales process and can do it in their sleep. That allows them to focus on the prospect and not worry about what to do or say next.

Can you write down the steps of your sales process? Before you go ahead and say “yes” why don’t you take a a piece of paper and try it first. You may be surprised.

Cant name the steps of your sales process? If you need help on defining or developing a consultative sales process or if you just want to know more please contact me.  Consultative selling is one of my specialities and passions. I also give out weekly tips, lessons and recommendations in my newsletters that you can sign up for in the right hand column of this page. Also, please feel free to share this post or any others that you find helpful, with friends by selecting on the share this! button below or if you want to leave a comment you may do so by scrolling to the top of this post and selecting the comments link next to the title of the post.

Until next time!

Best,

I just got off the phone with a good friend who was looking for ways to build relationship with an executive’s assistant. He was full of ideas on how he could do that. One idea was to just drop by and say hello, another was to send a card and yet another was to invite the assistant to lunch. Those are all valid ideas but the question is how does the assistant like to build relationship? You see what you would do for one person could be the exact opposite for another. To say it a different way one persons desert is another person’s poison. So I asked my friend is the assistant outgoing or slightly reserved? He said reserved. Is the assistant analytical or cooperative? He said she is cooperative. I said that is great because we now know what to do, what to avoid and we mapped out a plan.

His challenge is one that all of us have. When trying to influence someone or build relationship we are naturally wired to take the approach we want people to take with us. At best that will works 20-40% of the time. Instead if you influence people the way they want to influence you will build a good relationship 100% of the time. In sales we know that it takes more than strong relationships to win the deal but if you don’t build a strong relationship I guarantee you won’t be getting the deal!