Customers are busy and distracted. It’s not that they aren’t interested in our products and services; it’s just that they are overwhelmed with work and they find it difficult to make sufficient time to think through our recommendations let alone make a buying decision. When we show up we need to be sure we are showing up as assistance and not an interruption. We must emanate confidence and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are there to provide them with the assistance they have been searching for. If we don’t truly believe this ourselves, how are we going to get them to believe it?
80% of the sales game happens inside our head as we try to manage our mindset, comfort zones and insecurities. Mindset has more to do with success than ability. This is not only true for the seller, but for the buyer as well. If we want to win at this game, we must be able to manage our own discipline, motivation and determination while being able to understand our buyer’s wants, needs, fears and motivations. When we master these skills we become a formidable player in the game.
Fear of Rejection
To be able to overcome a less than optimal mindset you must be able to uncover the negative stories or limiting beliefs that you tell yourself about selling. The fear can be anything from fear of not getting the initial appointment to getting a no at closing. Identify previous successes and rewrite those negatives stories that represent truth and possibility while inspiring optimism and confidence.
“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.” -Henry Ford
Henry Ford believed our actions are a direct result of our beliefs and thoughts. The mental picture we hold of our self is of the utmost significance in determining our success and life choices. If we don’t like where our actions are taking us, it is up to us to change them. Actions, like habits take time and practice to change.
“Find what motivates you, bring energy to each call, take and use coaching and remember to practice.” Haydon Dotson, Group Sales Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium
Let’s not forget how many of us cringe at hearing “No”. For some of us who may be playing the numbers game, “No” stops us in our tracks and we think, OK, no big deal, NEXT, pack up and move on. Others may take “No” as a blow to the ego as if the product/service was personally linked to them as a person. Rather than taking “No” as their final answer, what if we were able to change how we perceived “No” and started to see it as a request for more information. To take it one step further, what would it look like if we took on the challenge to handle a few “Nos” up front in order to avoid them at the end when we are getting ready to close?
Gaining Buyer’s Trust
Many sales professionals are stuck in the rut of describing their products and services to their prospects. With google at our fingertips, it’s likely our prospect already knows all about what we offer along with the prices available to them from various competitors. If we got an appointment with the prospect, it is probably because they already have an idea of what they are looking for. So why is it that many of us feel the need to come in and waste valuable time talking about our product or service and our company? We should never let our prospect get to the point of where they are left thinking, “Please, get to the point of what’s in it for me and my company.”
To build trust and credibility with a prospect we need to let them know we are in their corner. First, people do not care how much you know until they know how much you care about them.
Many of us may be so caught up in selling our wonderfully amazing product or service that we may not even notice if our client even needs it. This often leads to our own confusion and disbelief when we hear a rejection.
“I think the biggest and most often made mistake by salespeople is to handle a rejection by continuing to push their sales pitch instead of listening, inquiring, and learning more about the rejection and the reasons behind the obstacle”, John Needham, Partner Manager
An initial meeting should start with a 30-60 second description of who you are as a company and what you do and for whom. Immediately follow-up with questions that will help identify the pains/problems the prospect is dealing with. This meeting should be 70% customer speaking while we are actively listening for their wants, needs, fears and motivations.
Second, many clients need certainty in our ability to not only deliver what we promise but to be there to support them going forward. How can our prospect acknowledge and trust our ongoing commitment to their success?
“The biggest obstacle in sales that I see is how you build an effective personal relationship with someone you may never meet in person. At the end of the day, people still would rather buy from someone who they like and trust. That can make all the difference, especially in a sales situation where two parity products offer comparable ROI.
How do I build those relationships? I make sure that my word is my bond, and that I’m impeccable when it comes to keeping promises. If I tell a potential client they will have a proposal by 5, I make sure they have it. If I promise an analysis or some data, it has to be in their inbox or on their desk on time — every time. When you know you can trust me, that’s where a solid relationship begins.” Michael Sugg , Jade Track VP of Sales.
Avoiding the Price War
Today, many products and services are competing on a level playing field. On the surface, salespeople sometimes feel as if price is the only negotiating factor. The overwhelming amount of information also clouds the buyer’s ability to make a decision. We can add value to a customer’s buying cycle by addressing their unique situation and identifying the right solutions so they can make an informed decision that drives the results they desire.
“Too many sales people rely on a product’s price or features and lead with that instead of having a method to connect and learn what the prospect needs and wants. Selling should be 80% listening and 20% talking.” Joseph Hertz, Accenture Sales Leader.
Instead of getting caught up in price wars, direct a customer’s attention towards other pain/pleasure points. Question the buyer’s values. What are they looking for in a product or service (top notch 24 hour customer service, high quality products, ease of implementation, quick delivery, etc…)? Get the client talking about what they value so you can determine what they need and how to position yourself to meet those needs.
To win any price war, we must differentiate ourselves, our company, and our solutions from others; offering something that makes a difference/value add. Then we must present our solutions with a clear difference.
Comfortable Client / Indecision Inertia
Like the lobster in the pot slowly coming to a boil, most prospects don’t know that they should be dissatisfied or even worse, running into trouble. Others acknowledge that they are dissatisfied, but think that no one can help them; they’ve learned to live with the problems and challenges they have. It is not that they are comfortable but just resigned to or tolerating the situation they are in. Not only may they be tolerating the status quo, they may also fear making exceptional efforts to accommodate the change or roll out a new way of doing things. Even if they do realize that they’d be better off with the product, the trouble and expense of installing it may outweigh the effort.
Until our client believes they need to change, a solution is available to them, and that the rewards will outweigh their efforts they aren’t going to take action. The challenge we face is making the case that change is necessary, and creating enough dissatisfaction to induce action. It is our duty to help them uncover their pain point, make them aware of their options and help them solve their problem with our product/service while supporting them through the entire process.
When our clients become aware of the solution we are offering coupled with the trust they have in us to deliver it, versus what they may lose by sticking with the status quo, they will act on our valued proposition. However, it is up to us to uncover what really is that tipping point.
Start by becoming curious and asking those questions that uncover our clients personal and professional motivations and goals. When we reach that deeper understanding of our client we can offer them the insight to support them as a true partner should.
Once we manage our own mindset we can then support our clients in guiding them through understanding their own mindset, what is holding them back and how to get moving forward again.
As mentioned above, 80% of the sales game happens inside our head. Wouldn’t it be smart to ensure our heads are running on full capacity? There are specific cognitive needs that are common to top performers. Most importantly, they manage change effectively. Nobody can think up the perfect strategy. Internal and external changes are both rapid and accelerating with technological advances.
Peak performers have the ability to anticipate changes, adapt to them, and then take purposeful action. They know that their plans will change due to circumstance, so they focus on intelligent adaptations to whatever changes may come.
Dynamical Neurofeedback has been used by biohackers and others looking for that catalyst in their performance professionally and personally. For more information go to www.BrainTrainingForYou.com
Top Needs of Peak Performers
Attention and Focus
Peak performance places heavy demands on the brain to focus while simultaneously ignoring distracting stimuli. While different activities place different demands on the brain overall, neurofeedback improves a person’s ability to stay on task while maintaining a high level of brain function.
Emotional Control
Arguably one of the most difficult aspects of being a peak performer is the ability to perform without being influenced by emotional triggers. Anxiety over a big upcoming event or the pressure to perform to high standards can negatively influence how a person performs. Neurofeedback stabilizes mood and emotional perception, including the perception and ability to cope with stress. This decreases anxiety overall, making moments of high demand easier to emotionally manage. Neurofeedback helps decrease distractibility caused by these emotions so you can perform optimally.
Cognitive Stability
As a person ages, the brain naturally begins to decline in certain areas, such as memory. Just as a person must exercise the body to keep in prime physical shape, fitness for the brain is also necessary to keep the brain functioning at its best. Neurofeedback acts as this exercise for the brain to maintain its highest ability. As a person ages, performance quality does not weaken as it naturally would, as the brain stays in peak condition.
Sleep
A person’s sleep directly influences how a person performs any task during the day, whether it is intellectual or physical performance. Peak Performers need recuperative, restorative sleep to maintain brain health. Sleep also assists in the healing process, helping to keep top performers in the best physical health possible. Neurofeedback has been proven to improve the quality and depth of sleep, which directly benefits physical and mental performance.
For more information on how Dynamical Neurofeedback can help you with the mental aspect to the selling game, go to www.BrainTrainingForYou.com
