The Oldest Profession
Contrary to what you've heard, selling is the oldest profession in the world. Long before anything else, the serpent sold Eve on the desirability of the apple. You might say she bought wholesale, because she then sold the apple retail to Adam. I say retail, because, as you know, that was a very expensive apple. Lot lost the sale at Sodom, and also at Gomorrah. Then Jacob sold Esau some soup for his birth-right. And after several hard closes, Moses sold Pharaoh on the idea of letting his people go. Selling has been going on for a long time. It's in The Book, right after "In the beginning...".Everyone knows that in order to sell you have to communicate. In every case I mentioned above, and in every case you can think of, nothing is sold until at least two people communicate.
Webster: communicate, v, to impart, to make known. For salespeople, this is an unfortunate definition because it makes you think about the selling process completely backwards.
One of the characteristics that separate humans from other animals is ego. Professional selling requires a method of communication that is not at all intuitive, and which is in absolute conflict with our ego. Here's a trick question:
When you think of communicating with your prospects, do you think about your products, colors, sizes, delivery schedule, prices, product-of-the-month, and how smart you are? If you do, your selling career is doomed.
Don't get me wrong. You need to know your business. But in the professional selling process, if these things are what you intend to communicate going in, you've got the cart dangerously before the horse.
Here's another trick question: Who has the information that you need to make a sale: you or your prospect? Of course, your prospect. So why do salespeople spend so much time in front of a prospect running their mouth? Sadly, the mouth is the tool-of-choice of the ego. Oh, that it was the ears instead.
S-U-L-S
Brace yourself! The Blasingame Mint is back in production - I've coined a new axiom, and a handy acronym to go with it: Shut Up - Listen - Sell! SULS. Tattoo those four letters on the palm of your hand.
Unless you are a mindreader, the only way to get the $golden$ information out of the prospect's head and onto a contract is through your prospect's mouth. If you're talking, the prospect is not talking. Starting to see the way this communication thing is supposed to work? You ask SHORT QUESTIONS. You SHUT UP. Prospect TALKS A LOT. You LISTEN a lot. You SELL a lot.
Take another look at Webster's definition of communication. Next time you make a sales call, think about that definition this way: the CUSTOMER "imparts", or "makes known" TO ME. Not the other way around. Your job is to listen, and get the contract ready. SULS.
Six Things To Remember
In his book, I'm A Salesman, Not A Ph.D., Brad Huisken, one of my Brain Trust Members, identifies some of the key elements of communication that are often ignored. Here are four of Brad's and two of mine:
Maintain Direct Eye Contact
The most valuable thing your prospect can do for you is to talk about what's on his mind, and nothing stops the flow of this golden information quicker than when he thinks you are not listening. You can give that impression by your body language, including your eyes.
An excellent way to get your prospect to STOP talking is to fidget around like the teacher's pet in the fifth grade who wants to be the first to recite the preamble to the Constitution. (You know, the one who reminded the teacher that she hadn't given out the homework assignment.)
Relax. Sit back. Cross your legs. Make your prospect think his words are the most interesting thing you've ever heard. Because at that moment, they are.
Concentrate
Concentrate is a word Brad likes to use. He says "Concentrate on every word your customer says. Don't think about what you are going to say next. Just what the customer is saying."
Recently, someone paid me what I considered to be a compliment. He said, "Jim, you listen hard." (Alas, "hard" is a word most often used to describe my head.) When you are "communicating" with your customers and prospects, "listen hard." Give it a try. See what happens.
Keep Them Talking
Brad says, "If you do the talking, the customer does the walking." Two of the essential things you need to be successful in sales are:
• The information in the prospect's head.
• Time in front of the prospect.
As long as the prospect is talking, you are accomplishing both goals. Even prospects who aren't egomaniacs like to talk about themselves, the things that interest them, and their problems. Remember, the gold is in the prospect's head. Your job is to mine that gold by keeping them talking.
Keep It Simple
Brad says don't use jargon - the technical, industry terms and acronyms that you use when you talk with your co-workers. Most of that stuff doesn't mean anything to your prospect; at best it will confuse them, and at worst it will annoy. Either way, you lose!
Let The Prospect Maintain The Momentum
Don't ask long, convoluted questions. Once you have the customer talking, you don't want her to lose her momentum. Remember, it's intuitive to feel that you are in charge when you are talking. In sales, it's the other way around: You are in charge as long as the prospect is talking.
Wait Three Seconds
This is an exercise I developed to improve listening. While the prospect is talking, tell yourself that no matter what happens, when you think the prospect is finished you are going to WAIT 3 SECONDS before you say anything. If you do this, four important things will happen:
• The three seconds you are giving yourself will be plenty of time to formulate your question or other response to what the prospect is saying.
• Since you don't have to be thinking about what you are going to say next, you can "listen hard".
• You will now appear to be totally engrossed in what the prospect is saying. When the prospect thinks you are hanging on every word, she will sing like a canary.
• You will NEVER interrupt the prospect - a sales call cardinal sin.
Write this on a rock... Professional Selling is about effective communication, which means you let the prospect do the communicating first. It's as simple as SULS. Good selling.
