Moving The Rock

Part of a salesperson’s job is educating prospects and customers. The question is, are you educating them on your solution or their problem? If your sales process requires you to demo or offer a capabilities presentation early in a buying cycle, go for it. But you don’t have to stand and deliver a canned pitch or elaborate story. You can use the time to better understand the buyer’s Wants, Impacts and Needs so everyone involved is on the same page and you have the insights you need to make a strong recommendation. 

As human beings, we understand how good it feels to be the subject of another person’s curiosity. We like talking about ourselves. Why then can it be so challenging for salespeople to conduct meaningful buyer interviews? Why is it so hard for salespeople to stop talking about themselves and make the buyer the subject of their curiosity? All you have to do is be prepared to ask the right people the right questions at the right time.

There are four buyer roles in every buying cycle. All four roles can be played by a single buyer, if you find yourself leading a simple sales process. And those same four roles can be spread across a 15-person steering committee, for those leading a more complex sales process. In this episode we discuss how the WINS Model can help you understand and guide each buyer and buying center you engage to a successful buying decision.

Stress is a normal and critical part of all life. In human beings, however, stress is a double-edged sword. It can be helpful and harmful depending upon how we respond to it and how leaders use it to manage and motivate team members. Listen in as we discuss the topic with neuroscience student and researcher, Sophia Rores.

Applying a sales process that delivers a predictable win rate is only part of the challenge. You want to win more than you lose, yes! But you also want your wins to be bigger and your losses to be smaller. Getting there requires your salespeople to ask the right buyers the right questions at the right time. Practicing the ideal sales process will ensure your people develop the discipline (i.e., muscle memory) required to reach and redefine their potential and your business goals.

Applying a sales process that delivers a predictable win rate is only part of the challenge. You want to win more than you lose, yes! But you also want your wins to be bigger and your losses to be smaller. Getting there requires your salespeople to ask the right buyers the right questions at the right time. Practicing the ideal sales process will ensure your people develop the discipline (i.e., muscle memory) required to reach and redefine their potential and your business goals. 

Today we're stepping off the path of our journey to zero in on a KEY idea. Standing out and being memorable is key to being the person others turn to when they are searching for a solution to the problem they face and the pain they feel. Today we'll be talking about how you can stand out without being gimmicky, cheesy or off putting --  so you can show up every time as the best version of you. So you can be legendary.

Many salespeople and leaders point to their ability to build strong relationships as an essential key to their success. Are they talking about relationships built upon the emotional bonds of likability? Or are they talking about ‘buying relationships’ built upon the emotional and rational bonds of mutual respect? Listen as we discuss the difference and our repeatable formula for success.

When you start by focusing on your buyer’s path to success, the Universal Buying Cycle™, you prepare yourself to meet your buyer where they are. You prepare yourself to sell the way your customers buy. And you prepare yourself to discover the fastest path to a successful buying decision.

Sales is an exchange of value. Yet, 85% of managers and 74% of salespeople lack the skills and/or discipline to execute a ‘value-first’ sales methodology. The Universal Buying Cycle™ forms the foundation of such a methodology (Collecting WINS™) and the Four Agreements ensure the methodology can be executed with predictable, repeatable precision.