Comments on: How to Take the Sales Out of Selling http://www.caskeyone.com/how-to-take-the-sales-out-of-selling/ Sales & Leadership Training For High Achievers Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Chris Kettner http://www.caskeyone.com/how-to-take-the-sales-out-of-selling/comment-page-1/#comment-30 Chris Kettner Sun, 25 Mar 2007 07:29:58 +0000 http://caskeyone.msclienthost2.com/blog/?p=100#comment-30 A trained professional salesperson uses small talk to try and qualify the prospect and make sure they are indeed a prospect. Real estate agents are notorious for it. They slide in things during the small talk like “Oh, where do you work?”, or “What do you do for a living?”, or “How long have you been doing this?”, that it sounds exciting? The problem with most sales persons is that they do all the small talking and forget “The golden rule" of sales...you must be a good listener! To the really advanced salesperson the relaxing and qualifying takes but a few seconds even for the most standoffish prospect. What my small talk is about is closing the sale. I am listening and searching for clues on how to close this prospect. What will it take? If I am a good listener the prospect will tell me exactly how to sell them. I have proven that thousands of times in front of trainees and experienced sales persons alike. I also use the small talk to give the prospect time to like me. When I am done with my small talk the sale generally is already closed! The presentation is just a formality. I have seen countless times the salesperson talk the client out of the sale. Over and over again. I once saw a very nice young couple come onto a car lot and the young wife kept telling the salesperson how her dream since she was little was to have a cute red car. The salesperson showed her everything on the lot BUT a red car. He was too busy “selling” her, his idea of what she wanted instead of picking up on the GIGANTIC KEY she gave him in the small talk! Cute RED CAR! I heard it, her husband heard it…Why didn’t the salesperson hear it? Needless to say he didn’t get the sale. A trained professional salesperson uses small talk to try and qualify the prospect and make sure they are indeed a prospect. Real estate agents are notorious for it. They slide in things during the small talk like “Oh, where do you work?”, or “What do you do for a living?”, or “How long have you been doing this?”, that it sounds exciting?

The problem with most sales persons is that they do all the small talking and forget “The golden rule” of sales…you must be a good listener! To the really advanced salesperson the relaxing and qualifying takes but a few seconds even for the most standoffish prospect. What my small talk is about is closing the sale. I am listening and searching for clues on how to close this prospect. What will it take? If I am a good listener the prospect will tell me exactly how to sell them. I have proven that thousands of times in front of trainees and experienced sales persons alike. I also use the small talk to give the prospect time to like me. When I am done with my small talk the sale generally is already closed! The presentation is just a formality.

I have seen countless times the salesperson talk the client out of the sale. Over and over again. I once saw a very nice young couple come onto a car lot and the young wife kept telling the salesperson how her dream since she was little was to have a cute red car. The salesperson showed her everything on the lot BUT a red car. He was too busy “selling” her, his idea of what she wanted instead of picking up on the GIGANTIC KEY she gave him in the small talk! Cute RED CAR! I heard it, her husband heard it…Why didn’t the salesperson hear it? Needless to say he didn’t get the sale.

]]> By: John Asher http://www.caskeyone.com/how-to-take-the-sales-out-of-selling/comment-page-1/#comment-29 John Asher Mon, 26 Feb 2007 16:07:53 +0000 http://caskeyone.msclienthost2.com/blog/?p=100#comment-29 Good point Bryan & thanks for the article. The role of a sales person should evolve with new technology. Gone are the days when product and service information was hard to come by and required the transmission from a personal contact. The overflow of information has made such a role almost redundant. The sales pro is now one to help whittle through the overabundance of information and make sense of it on a consultative level. Those who market themselves as thus win - those who don't... Good point Bryan & thanks for the article.

The role of a sales person should evolve with new technology. Gone are the days when product and service information was hard to come by and required the transmission from a personal contact.

The overflow of information has made such a role almost redundant. The sales pro is now one to help whittle through the overabundance of information and make sense of it on a consultative level. Those who market themselves as thus win – those who don’t…

]]> By: Koka Sexton http://www.caskeyone.com/how-to-take-the-sales-out-of-selling/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Koka Sexton Thu, 22 Feb 2007 04:13:22 +0000 http://caskeyone.msclienthost2.com/blog/?p=100#comment-28 This is absolutely brilliant! I've been listening to the podcasts and reading these posts and I must say this is by far the best I have come across. Every sales person should run their business in this fashion. @KOKA, Not sure about brilliant--but thanks. Yes, every sales person should--most don't. Problem is old wiring about what it means to 'sell.' That's what we need to change--the thinking--the rest takes care of itself. Keep listening to podcasts.... This is absolutely brilliant! I’ve been listening to the podcasts and reading these posts and I must say this is by far the best I have come across.

Every sales person should run their business in this fashion.

@KOKA,
Not sure about brilliant–but thanks. Yes, every sales person should–most don’t. Problem is old wiring about what it means to ‘sell.’ That’s what we need to change–the thinking–the rest takes care of itself. Keep listening to podcasts….

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