HUMAN CONNECTIONS IN THE COVID ERA • We’re all sick of Web meetings. So, if it’s a one-on- one call, offer a phone call where you both commit to walk around your respective blocks. Hearing the other person puff up a hill can open up conversation, and stepping away from the slide presentation is almost guaranteed to make the conversation more, well… conversational.


• It’s a lot easier to talk about other people’s problems; so, if a prospect is guarded, then ask, “How would your team describe this challenge?” to make it easier for them to open up.


FRAME DISCOVERY IN THEIR TERMS • Use integrative conversation to uncover the root cause of their issues. You may need to ingest a lot before you get to the heart of the issue. That’s OK. Listen, digest, then reconstruct back to them to help them understand their deeper issues.


• No matter how much ROI you can promise, if it’s not a focus this quarter, then you’re unlikely to win attention and budget. Ask what initiatives they’re working on and connect your solution back to that priority. If you’re hav- ing difficulty making the association, ask about higher- level corporate initiatives and see if you can anchor to something there.


CO-CREATE A SOLUTION Once your reps have found both rational and emotional alignment with their prospects, it’s time to deliver results with a plan.


SELLING TIP Become a More Effective Sales Coach


The basic premises of coaching still hold true, so use these six basics to become a more effective sales coach. 1. Set goals. Establish observable, time-specific, and measurable goals for each salesperson. Once you set the goals, speak often with team members to gauge their progress.


2. Teach the skills. People do not know how to do things intuitively. It’s your job to give them the tools they need to be successful.


3. Build relationships. This is a matter of trust or bust. Trust takes years to build but only seconds to de- stroy. It’s not about being friendly, but being honest and fair with all your people in an effort to earn and keep their trust.


4. Motivate your players. Catch your salespeople doing something positive and reinforce it imme-


diately. The quicker the reinforcement follows the behavior, the more powerful it will be.


5. Monitor performance. There isn’t much point in going through the first four steps if they don’t result in better performance. Use your eyes and ears and constantly look at actual performance.


6. Provide guidance and additional training. Catch people doing something right, provide comments in a positive way, and direct behavior in the direc- tion you want it to go. Use one-on-one or more formal training to reach your objectives. A coach will say you need to work hard if you want to win. That means having an incredibly motivated team that constantly delivers results in the form of sales.


– WILLIAM F. KENDY


Heart still plays a role – since prospects have to believe they made a safe choice in trusting you – but nothing will make a prospect feel safer than knowing everyone is work- ing from a tried-and-tested plan.


BE THE SAFE PATH • Present your recommended change not as one big, grand leap of faith, but rather as a series of short, achiev- able milestones.


• Introduce your team early so they know there’s a whole team behind the effort, and to facilitate smoother peer- to-peer conversations.


BE ACCOUNTABLE AND HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE • As a customer-centric partner, you’re making promises – but it’s not one-sided. Your prospects need to make commitments, too. As a partner dedicated to their suc- cess, you have every right to hold them accountable.


• Deliver on the promises you make, and stay in contact all the way through to the day they actually realize the value you’ve promised.


Customer timelines don’t always line up with your end of quarter. As a leader, it’s your job to give your reps space to serve their customers. Let them be a partner, help them create value, and don’t let them get taken advantage of – and both sides will see real success. 


Tom Williams is CEO of DealPoint. Connect with Tom on LinkedIn or by email at tom@dealpoint.io to talk about your sales process.


SELLING POWER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | 15 © 2020 SELLING POWER. CALL 1-800-752-7355 FOR REPRINT PERMISSION.


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