Most people have seen the movie classic “The Wizard of Oz.” If you remember the story, Dorothy and a collection of characters she meets are on a journey to the land of OZ to meet the wizard. Dorothy and the characters are all seeking something from the Wizard that they feel is missing – Heart, Courage, a Brain. All salespeople are on the same kind of journey seeking something they feel they are missing in their sales. In the last several years I have had a revelation about the art and science of sales. The answer to sales success is within all of us. The answer is simple but the key to unlock the answer is elusive.
If you were to go back to the late 1800’s, the first formal sales training provided by the likes of J. Douglas Edwards and others, you will find teaching geared towards techniques – tie-downs, inverted tie-downs etc. For over a century now salespeople have been trained with various forms of techniques, word tracks, closes and other sales processes. The question is do these things work? Is this what creates success for the best performing sales people? My own unscientific research says no.
Here is what I have found:
For more than a quarter of a century I have been involved in sales and sales training reaching the highest levels of success. I have read hundreds of books and listened to hundreds of CD’s on the subject of sales. I am world class expert on sales. Some people may find that to be an arrogant statement to make but as the old saying goes, it’s not bragging if it’s true. However, after all the edcuation and success, I am just now tapping into a higher level of consciousness in the arena of sales. My conclusion is that most of what you have been taught about sales and use on a daily basis is not what creates the highest levels of success.
In the book “Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell, Mr. Gladwell describes theory and various supporting research about human behavior and how people make decisions. The author uses a term called “small slicing.” The term refers to the idea that substantial and correct information can be obtained about a person and their future behavior based upon small slices of their communication and current behavior. The information in this book supports theories and research that I have had for the last several years. However, the theories are hard to articulate and get others to model. In other words, the key to success is simple but yet hard to define.
The old phrases, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” and “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it” are examples of simple truths. The magic answers to how do you make a great first impression and how do you say things correctly are what are much harder to define.
Sales techniques, sales process and word tracks can all be helpful but are not the key peak performance. If those things were the answer then everyone who ever had sales training or had modeled a successful sales person would become peak performers. Undeniably, that’s not the case.
Even the words sales and selling create a false direction for salespeople. The proper mindset for a salesperson is to think of very personal interaction with buyers. The mission of a salesperson is to create an environment conducive to buying for the customer. TLC – Think like a customer. Not just any customer, the particular customer you are with. One size fits all selling does not work.
The so-called “Road to a Sale” or sales process is only as good as the personal interaction of the salesperson with the customer during the process. This is why training on just sales process without education in understanding interpersonal communication, behavior or the art and science of persuasion creates a sales environment of failure for salespeople and frustration for customers.
Think more about the customer’s thoughts, emotions and how they are being expressed to you. To create a buying environment for the customer, you must take your all of your senses and intuition to a higher level. You must begin to see like a deaf person, hear like a blind person and understand the customer as if you were their deepest and most caring friend.
In the end, the Wizard of OZ didn’t have any answers. The answers were already within each of the characters just as the answers are already within you. With a little education to unlock those answers you can explode your sales success. If you would like seven quick tips to start you on the road to higher sales success, email me at info@tewart.com with the phrase 7 quick tips in the subject line.
Author of “How To Be a Sales Superstar
- Break All the Rules and Succeed Doing It”
(John Wiley & Sons 2008)
***In book stores and Amazon October 17, 2008***
www.howtobeasalessuperstar.info
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Tags: Contrarian Sales, How to Become a Sales Superstar, Mark Tewart, Marketing, Professional Speaking, Sales, Sales Management, Sales Training
