Sandler Training

You may have heard the old saying that 90 percent of success happens between the ears. That’s easy enough to say. But what does putting this principle into practice really mean? What does it look like when it shows up, in a discussion with a prospective buyer, as part of who we really are?

For most of us, prospecting is the lifeblood of our business. We don’t have to like it. We just have to do it. That’s reality. The good news is that once we commit to setting and implementing the behavioral plan, and once we learn not to take NO personally, it gets a lot easier.

As salespeople are talking to buyers, there are moments when buyers say things that are ambiguous or even a little misleading. When that occurs, we often make assumptions about what we just heard. Your job is to ask strategic questions to clarify what you think you’re hearing. STROKE-REPEAT-REVERSE is a great questioning technique to eliminate mutual mystification.

What do you do when a buyer or a prospective buyer says something aggressive or confrontational? Forget about right and wrong. Forget about whose fault it is or isn’t. That’s not an effective way to communicate with the buyer. Fall back! Find something you can take ownership of and own it!

Failure is how we learn and grow. It's how we move forward. People often confuse role failure with self-confidence, self- esteem, or self-concept. Failure to obtain a meeting or close a deal is simply role failure. It’s not who we are. We may fail within a role, but we are always perfect and complete as human beings. Embrace your failure.

While there are several factors that contribute to success in the sales arena, there are five things you must have to maximize your potential and the results you achieve.

Salespeople describe on a regular basis how they spend 5 - 20 hours a week preparing proposals for business they are hoping to get. However, most of the time their efforts are unsuccessful.

Why are we compelled to provide proposals when our gut tells us we are wasting our time? Let's explore some of the reasons we feel inclined to provide proposals.

The salesperson who claims to “like” prospecting hasn’t ever done it. How can anyone “like” a process that produces such an arena for rejection? When salespeople say they like prospecting, what they might mean is this: “I don’t mind paying the price of prospecting to reach my objectives.”

There are 4 different communication patterns that exist, each defined by distinct strengths and characteristics. Understanding the DISC styles and knowing your own, will improve your communication with others. Allowing others to accommodate your communication style increases your credibility, which can build trust between you and those you communicate with. Learning to adapt your style to theirs helps build the rapport that leads to sales!

When we give buyers permission to get into our head, we can’t do our job as sales professionals effectively. If we allow ourselves to become emotionally involved in a discussion with a buyer, we give that buyer control over us. If a buyer tries to manipulate us, and succeeds, that’s not on the buyer. It’s on us!