Have you ever found yourself rambling in a sales meeting? Losing control of the conversation?
So you find yourself going down rat holes where your prospect has taken control, setting the agenda. And as a result you walk out thinking you blew it, another opportunity lost.
Unfortunately this is a pretty common scenario. However it’s easily fixed if you have the right mindset and structure your meetings correctly.
Transcript
Have you ever found yourself rambling in a sales meeting? Losing control of the conversation? So you find yourself going down rat holes where your prospect has taken control, setting the agenda. And as a result you walk out thinking you blew it, another opportunity lost.
My name’s Rashid Kotwal.
Unfortunately this is a pretty common scenario. However it’s easily fixed if you have the right mindset and structure your meetings correctly.
Let’s start with your mindset. Sales is about leadership. Your job is to lead your prospects highlighting their issues and the outcomes they desire. Then showing them how they can achieve them with your help.
So here’s the process we use and teach our clients.
The acrostic is DICTATE.
Starting with D for details.
Find out the details of the issues they’re facing.
“Tell me a little bit about what’s going on.”
Drill down!
“Interesting… can you tell me more?”
“What’s the impact?”
“Who else is being affected?”
I is for Interval: How long have they had this issue?
“That’s interesting – can you tell me how long this has been going on?”
“Really? It’s been going on for two years?”
Your goal is to keep drilling – remember, no pain and they won’t take action.
Remember, pain could actually be an aspiration. Some goal they want to achieve but haven’t been able to for whatever reason.
C is for Cost
“Do you mind if I ask how much not solving this has cost you?”
Many people can’t directly answer this in money terms. You ask this because you want to highlight to them what its cost them emotionally. How do they feel not having achieved, made the money, achieved the lifestyle, whatever it is they wanted.
“What kind of aggravation has this whole thing cost you?”
“What are you feeling?”
Next is T is for Try and Fix
“What steps have you taken to try and fix it?”
You want them to acknowledge that they haven’t been able to fix the issue. And that’s why they’re talking to you!
A stands for Action or rather inaction.
Your goal is to really crank up the pain.
“Do you mind if I ask you what would happen if you don’t fix the problem?”
“Imagine it’s six months from now, a year from now, and nothing has changed. What are the implications?”
“What’s at stake for you to lose or gain?”
Remember, your enemy is status quo. If they’re happy with where they’re at, or the cost of doing something is actually greater than the cost of staying where they are, they won’t buy.
T is for Talking Less
You have two ears, one mouth. Use them in those proportions!
E is for Emotions: Future pacing your solution which is the most important component.
Remember, we all buy on emotion and then seek to justify our decisions with logic either to ourselves, or someone else.
So it is essential you help your prospect actually feel what it would be like to own your product.
And the best way to do that is to future pace.
They’ve told you what they’d like to achieve using your product or service. So you know what they want.
So this is an example of words you’d use:
“Imagine you’ve bought the whatever it is you’re selling and it’s a year from now. You’re sitting in your office or your home looking back at everything you’ve achieved because of your decision today to move ahead. How does it feel?”
Then shut up and wait! Do it right and you’ll notice a major shift in their demeanour. Have them try on the solution by delving down and asking them to describe in more detail what they’re seeing, hearing, feeling in their imagination.
This is one of the most powerful things you can do in persuasion. Remember, people buy on emotion and your job is to get them to feel them and relate good stuff back to you and your product or service so they want to buy.
Now I’d be lying if I told you that was all there was to it. There’s plenty more, which we cover in our SalesAccelerator program. This is but the bare bones.
If you’d like more information on that, give me a hoy at RevealedResources.com.
Till next time, this is Rashid Kotwal.
