Comments on: What I Learned About Selling in 2008

By: CS Thompson

CS Thompson — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 03:52:05 +0000

@ Todd

Persuasion as you’ve known it must be reconsidered. Thats a great quote. I would have to agree with you about persuasion. It still happens, but we just can’t be using sleazy persuasion methods. Even coming from a position of strength and pure motive, you will still need to move someone and influence their opinion, as they might not know whats best for them Process and education and questioning and consulting are all persuasion in various forms. However they give dignity and value to the client and self respect to the consultant.

By: Todd Rogers

Todd Rogers — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:39:58 +0000

Bryan.
Excellent post. Though I am not convinced persuasion is dead, per se. However, as it has come to be known: “Mr. Prospect, I think you should reconsider…and here’s why” is indeed useless. In the school of Cialdini, minds and positions do change and all the time. Thus, someone or something can influence that change. In the Caskey school, it’s about (at least for me) finding the ones who are susceptible to the change for a legitimate reason and that’s where one should be spending his or her time. So perhaps number one might be better stated as something such as Persuasion as you’ve known it must be reconsidered.

By: Sales Training Tip During Recession

Sales Training Tip During Recession — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:19:38 +0000

[...] few days ago, Bryan Neale wrote a great sales training post, even though he didn’t call it that. He talked about his lessons from 2008. I say [...]

By: Bryan Neale

Bryan Neale — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:44:41 +0000

Dave. Thanks for the comment. Having read some of your material, I feel we’re in the same camp. There is no question that process makes perfect. (That is one of the titles of Bill’s book Same Game New Rules-Insight 3, Page 41). AND the wrong process or one founded in misplaced intent does you no good. I feel strongly even those who are sales process JUNKIES use the process they teach for the sole reason of GETTING THE DEAL. I think that “vibe” then clutters and clouds what is probably a very strong process. Great process wrapped in great intent is effective, efficient and the best in all scenarios.

Thanks again for reading and commenting. …and I’d love to see any research you want to share.

Here’s to 2009.

By: Dave Stein

Dave Stein — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:38:19 +0000

Great list, Brian.

Just a comment about #10. I don’t see sales process training as “still about getting the deal and persuading someone to buy.”

Perhaps you and I have a different definitions of the word “process.”

Some of the best-performing sales organizations we speak with use process as a tool to be certain, among other things, that the customer’s business is completely understood (including objectives, obstacles, enablers, strategies, how they define success, etc.), the competitors’ approaches have been anticipated and appropriate competitive strategies and counterstrategies are in place, the customer’s buying process (if they have one) is understood and leveraged, etc.

Over the past three years, significant research has been published that concludes that process makes a big difference in sales effectiveness. Glad to provide that if you’d like.

I agree that old-fashioned forms of persuasion are no longer relevant. In fact they turn many buyers off. But getting the deal? Isn’t selling, in its basest definition, trade? A formal exchange of business value for the buyer for remuneration for the seller? Even the the most strategic of partnerships between buyer and seller start with a deal of some sort.

Not sure of your point, but I’ve got an open mind…

Happy New Year.

By: Greg Walters

Greg Walters — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:17:22 +0000

Good show.

I don’t think I can add anything to this list.

Cheers to a better 09.