the performance of the vast majority of middle-of-the- road sales people through training, development and the provision of appropriate sales tools.
Their Situation, Not Yours
Compelling sales conversations are focused on the prospect’s situation, not the vendor. Yet way too many unsuccessful sales meetings start with a presentation of the vendor and/or their offerings. If they are asked to set the scene by introducing their organisation, top sales performers do it instead by explaining how they have helped their customers to deal with business issues that they are confident are likely to be relevant to the prospect. And they do their research up front.
Their Language, Not Yours
Few things destroy conversations faster than a sales person’s use of product-related acronyms or terms that are unfamiliar, irrelevant or uninteresting to the prospect. Top sales performers understand that they need to use language that is familiar and relevant to the prospect, and to be able to talk about the issues and trends that are relevant to their prospect’s industry.
Share Something Remarkable
In a widely-acclaimed recent Harvard Business Review article, a number of authors - including Geoffrey Moore of “Crossing the Chasm” fame - made a compelling case for the power of provocative selling. They explained how vendors that were able to develop a distinctive, provocative point of view were able to
disturb the status quo and to help their prospects to see things from a fresh and interesting perspective.
Equipping your sales people with well-researched, provocative points of view that reflect important changes that are underway in their prospect’s environment can enable them to take the sales conversation in an unexpected and (to the prospect) stimulating and interesting direction. It helps to make the conversation that follows remarkable, in the sense that the prospect is far more likely to remember it and share it with others.
Visualise - but Don’t Hide Behind PowerPoint
Strong visual images are far more powerful and memorable than words alone. But we’ve observed that PowerPoint is more of a hindrance than a help in most small group situations. The use of white boards or flip charts to interactively build up strong visual images is far more effective. It’s also an approach that encourages discussion and debate.
When top sales performers do use PowerPoint, they use it to stimulate discussion, rather than to deliver an unbroken stream of information. Rather than broadcasting, they use it as a catalyst to help stimulate interaction. How can you help? By reviewing your corporate sales presentations, and stripping out any detailed bullet pointed lists that simply invite the presenter to read off the screen.
Dramatise the Story
The best stories involve a dramatic contrast between before and after, and many of the most effective sales
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