Universal Principles For Selling Professionals
As in a dance
one leads
one follows,
each to the rhythm of the other
each to the rhythm of the music.
So too with marketing and sales.
Marketing takes the first step
Finding leads that are deftly handed off
to sales who takes the next step
converting the leads to prospects.
each to the rhythm of the other
each to the rhythm of the market
Twirling business with finesse and grace.
As in a dance
it takes two to tango.
As in business
it takes the two to sell.
Can you stop your mind from wandering
And focus on what the prospect speaks?
Can you keep your eyes wide
And awake to the buyers frustrations?
Can you appreciate their needs
Without imposing your will?
And can you close a deal
Without clever tricks and word play?
Selling without selling
Closing without closing
Allowing the sale to advance at its own course,
This the supreme virtue.
We show features during demonstrations,
but it is the benefits
that generate emotion.
We craft the demonstration
per the prospect’s request,
but it is not spoken needs
that differentiates your product.
We hammer professionalism and competence,
but it is the human connection
that builds trust
We work with seen
but non-seen is what we use.
Often times the buyer has a fuzzy idea about what they want. They will request you to demonstrate your product or service according to that ambiguous list. The Master Seller should know the buyer better than themselves. Understanding their world, they know the buyers desires and cleverly share benefits that differentiates from the competition. Often times, buyers don’t know what they want. But if you can show, that not only meet, but exceed their expectations, the deal is yours. You start with the seen, but it’s the unseen you use.
Yesterday one subscriber mentioned that my reading list consisted only of sales books yet the focus of this blog was sales in the context of the Tao Te Ching. Sheepishly I agreed that I had indeed skipped the inspiration of this blog, Lao Tze. I have since added three books that have deeply influenced by thinking of life and subsequently sales. The Master Seller cannot be successful unless their personal life is in order. The life of the personal and life of the professional are inter-weaved in a manner that makes them inextricable. As such I recommend these two translations and book for those interested in further understanding the Tao Te Ching of Sales:
Again I hope you find value in these selections. They have deeply enriched my life. Click here for access to the reading list.
If you would like to discuss these books or have any questions, please don’t hesitate or contact me anytime by clicking the “contact” tab.
Best wishes,
Pat
Over the years I have been influenced by a number of great authors. Their books have opened the doors to a world of wisdom and success. Each book is unique in the various facets and aspects they address, all have influenced me and my postings on the Tao Te Ching of Sales. I’ve often been asked by the readers of this blog on advice on what books I’d recommend. To answer that question I’ve created a new tab on this blog with my “Reading List“.
The six books I review are:
I hope you find value in this selection. Click here for the list. Good reading!
“I cannot live without books: but fewer will suffice where amusement, and not use, is the only future object.”
Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, June 10, 1815.
This week a sales rep from a world class corporation sent me an email requesting that I attend a brief webinar. After reviewing his email, I specifically asked him to give me his elevator pitch. It became clear that he was selling a service that is not appropriate for my company. I was firm in responding that my company does not do that kind of marketing, it’s bad for our branding. To be certain I asked “Is that what you’re selling?” He then responded “It’s more-so about helping you make more money without putting stress on your resources and without disengaging your customers”.
OK, so maybe I’m wrong and he has something that could have value. So I dug deeper into his email and asked again in another way. Eventually he came clean and said he was selling that service I don’t want, just as suspected. The rep was not honest with me and I told him as much in my email response. I shared I expect more from a company with their reputation. I told him if he did this on his own, shame on him. If his sales manager is telling him to lie and be evasive, I asked him to please share the email with him so they can know their tactics are dishonest. Being the strident coach, I recommended they rethink their efforts.
The Master Seller is an expert in finding “qualified” prospects and serving them. Of asking questions and finding out if we can help. When prospects are crystal clear about their desires, and our solution does NOT match up, we thank them for their time and move on to the next lead. We don’t try tricks and traps to get them to sit through a dog and pony show.
If sellers hope to become successful in sales, it’s best they learn ethical sales now, sooner the better. These were the thoughts I shared with the sale rep. He did not acknowledge my comments but merely responded “thank you for your time”.
Some people do not want to learn.
When the Master sells, prospects are hardly aware of it,
To them it’s just a conversation about their lives.
Next best is a seller who is loved.
Next, one who is feared as sleazy.
The worst is one who is considered a huckster.
If you don’t trust the customer, you make them untrustworthy.
The Master Seller doesn’t talk, he acts.
When the sale is closed the people say, “We chose wisely”
As the bee expects nectar
From each flower it visits,
So too does the buyer
With expectations of your solution.
Each sale is built on a foundation of
Understanding the urgency
Learning the real need
Delving into desires
Framing the budget
Building trust and confidence
that you can deliver.
By learning the yearning
And selling by not telling
The seller connects with the buyer
To find common ground
Sales is a mix of the hard and the easy
Sometimes they fall in your lap
A pleasant gift on a hard days work.
They are called Blue Birds.
More common the Master Seller
is a Bird Dog,
Patiently sniffing out opportunities
working to flush out new business.
Patience is the test of resolve, trust and circumstance.
Not whining
The Master Seller accepts responsibility
They work each deal at its own accord
The buyer is busy.
With their cup filled to the brim,
they fail to make time and consider alternatives.
The Master Seller extends a helping hand
to clear their minds.
They help discover frustrations and desires.
They create possibilities
with new products and services
the buyer alone cannot see.
In the hubbub of the everyday, prospects often and understandably fail to step back and challenge the processes they’ve been doing. They know that things could be simpler, faster, and of higher quality. But the demands of their customers take precedence and fill their day. Retrospection is left for tomorrow.
As Master Sellers, it’s our responsibility to “awake” the prospect to new possibilities. We must reach out to them, they won’t come to us. It requires patience and a certain bravado to create a conversation, that allows them to self reflect. But in that self-reflection, openings are created. It is here where the seller may have solutions, to alleviate their suffering.
It is the Master Seller who takes the initiative and empties the buyer’s cup.
The master seller is both mentor and teacher
Responsible to pique curiosity
Not seeing prospects as empty vessels
To be filled with product knowledge
They hint and guide towards self understanding.
Seeing buyers as life long learners
They discover their interests
And teach future possibilities
Schooled in the value of your product and services.
The Tao Te Ching of Sales 