To be truly successful in selling, you’d better enjoy more than just getting a closed sale. You’d better enjoy what goes into it.
I was visiting with a client yesterday, and he was telling me about a recent vacation that he took in which he took the train across country to Washington, D.C., and back. He did so not for budgetary reasons (although it was less expensive than flying) but because he was interested in what the trip would be like. He came back loving train travel.
He told me about the dining car, the club car, the “scenic” car, and how it really transformed the experience of travel. I’m sure this was some of the same romance of train travel that people felt in the 30s, 40s, and 50s, before air travel became the norm. He’s planning on taking a train again on his next vacation. But here’s the key – on the train, he said, the journey became part of the vacation. That put me in mind of selling. In selling, everyone enjoys the destination (the closed sale). How many of you enjoy the journey?
I’ve known many top salespeople throughout the years (and modesty aside, I’ve been one of them for as many years), and I’ve discovered that the very best salespeople love the journey in selling nearly as much, or as much, as they enjoy the destination. Think about it; the sales journey can be absolutely fascinating if you’re of such a mind. You meet different people with different wants and needs, have interesting conversations, and help them succeed. At least, that’s what you do if you’re doing it right. I find that there’s something to love in each juncture of the sales process.
Prospecting: This is the part of the sales journey that few salespeople enjoy. They psyche themselves up for it, they invent crutches to make themselves do it, or they bypass it altogether. What’s to love? Well, I love the possibility of prospecting; of calling someone that I don’t know and attempting to quickly communicate value. The opportunity to win is the passion that I can find in prospecting. It’s the same thing that I enjoy when I sit down to the blackjack table in Vegas, except that I know that my skill has much more of an influence in prospecting.
Discovery: What’s not to love about discovery? You get to ask questions, learn new things, and understand needs of people. I’ve always been a very intellectually curious person, so discovery fits naturally with my personal tendencies. The most successful salespeople are careful, detailed, and complete with their discoveries; mediocre ones bypass it as quickly as possible by asking too few questions.
Presentation: Now it’s time for your passion for your product to come out. Assuming that the information you discovered indicates that your product is a match for the customer’s needs, it’s time to be a passionate advocate for, and to, the customer. This step is what most people think of as “selling,” the truly successful salespeople don’t use a canned pitch. Rather they build a presentation entirely based upon needs and use that to persuade the customer.
Proposal: Now it’s time to discuss price and terms with the customer. The passion here is knowing that the rubber is about to meet the road, one way or another. If you believe in the value that you are selling, this is also fun as you present your price unashamedly and confidently.
Closing: Believe it or not, we’re still not at the part of the sale that most reps love; closing is part of thejourney. The passion for me is knowing that I’m asking a customer to do something that is in his/her best interests, and confirming that act.
Now we’re at the destination. Think about it; if you don’t love the journey, you’ve gone through a lot of pain to get to the part that you do like – which is fleeting at best. As I said, the best salespeople love the whole sales journey. If you don’t, I suggest that you find something to love about it. That’s how you will become an elite salesperson.
