“What can I do to influence the subjective valuation of my product by the prospect?”

You only sell something if the customer values your product more than its price (and more than alternatives)

Express ideas as explanations

Say how an action will transform a situation or capability, and why that action

NOT : subjective opinion about importance (loose actions / goals)

Avoid positive arguments

Arguments appeal to authority

Encourage alternative ideas

What other actions could lead to the same goal

What other better goals can be achieved via these actions ?

Inherently disappointing : getting so many no’s for 1 yes’

We make it dull or frustrating in two ways

by the typical KPI management 

Discussions about numbers

By throwing vague ideas around

Customer is key / our products have value

Can say that about everything at all times, it does not solve any problem

By justifying “the right way” all the time

“You should just sell like this and the business will grow”

If it doesn’t work, it is frustrating to having to repeat that all the time

It does not allow for alternative trials/ suggestions

What do we do to compensate, but what does not make it more fun

Coaching

Often analysis of who you are and what you should do to improve

At the level of your personhood, not ideas to can help you sell more

Also quite generic, simple tests, simple ideas (be more self conscious, we are all in this together)

What can actually make sales more fun ?

Approach it as a problem solving exercise

The problem of what to do or say so that the subjective valuation of your product by the customer goes up

You need a theory

About the valuation 

About what to say or do

You need to improve your theory

Find better ways to convey

You can do that together with other sales people

Not as just sharing opinions

But really testing the theory “what is we did A instead of B, what would happen, and why ?”

Creativity ! new ideas / improved theories !

The role of data: to point to an issue / not something you derive conclusions about

All actions are a test of your theory. They provide useful information to change it or improve it. Don’t just celebrate succes, but more importantly learn from mistakes !

There is an objectively best theory about what to do to persuade a customer, it’s fun trying to seek it out, by throwing out ideas that don’t work and replacing them with ideas that might work