Selling Isn’t a Numbers Game?

Selling has always been a ‘numbers game’ right? I mean, how many dozens, even hundreds of time have you heard that!

Yes it’s true that most every sales person has been taught that, and as I like to point out we used to believe the world was flat.

When I first recently started hearing that selling wasn’t actually a numbers game after all I immediately sat up and cheered. I left the sales for a number of years because I personally didn’t subscribe to the ‘numbers game’ dogma.

Unfortunately most sales mangers had been taught this ‘old school’ strategy and insisted I follow their lead. Since I intuitively knew better, I choose not to engage with companies that still used this antique model.

Fact is this is one of the strategies that I feel has seriously hurt many businesses. The sad part is that the business owner likely isn’t an expert at sales and simply defers to the Sales department to handle that critical element of his business. Big mistake

Of all the sharp ‘new school’ sales coaches I’ve studied – none has this essential concept down better than Ari Galper. Ari flips this whole ‘number games’ crap on its head by stating that by playing that game businesses are actually losing sales.

What? That’s right – the emphasis on numbers lends itself to a pathetic approach which actually drives good potential customers away.

Sales occur 98% of the time because the prospect has developed some respect ands trust for the sales person. That type of relationship is born from conversations.‘Conversations’ are not any of the following:

·A ‘one size fits all’ sales script (or any script for that matter)

·A list of ’20 Questions’ which try an back a prospect into a corner

·A ‘mine is bigger’ list of features and benefits which may – or may not solve the prospects problem

Conversations are generally a serious of intelligent back and forth questions, answers, insights, clarifications, all for the purpose of attaining deeper understanding for both parties.

Focusing on closing the sale is misguided advice in this day and age. Every prospect now expects (and always deserved) quality information offered up front.

You’ll notice an immediate change in the way prospects treat you to the point where you’ll be asking yourself in amazement: Can cold Calling Be Enjoyable?

That is not to say a salesperson needs to become a prospects wet nurse. Doing back flips by educating your prospect on every element of the product /service/industry without getting some cooperation on their end is an invitation to be taken advantage of.

Prospects will sometimes bleed you dry for information they can use to shop around for a better deal. It can happen and when it does its disheartening.

Another version of this occurs when a prospect/company asks for a formal Proposal without you knowing exactly what they are looking for and what they are committed to doing if you match their criteria.

Drawing up proposals takes time, effort, and therefore money. Don’t bend over just because you’ve been asked to – get something in return.

Another breakthrough Ari points out is the myth that most sales fail at the end of the sales process. He states (and I totally agree) it actually happens at the start of the process. We must set the tone for Trust and Cooperation at the outset of the cold call or we will likely never be able to establish it.

The sooner your sales people move away from the perceptive that sales is a number game the sooner your sales numbers will start to skyrocket.

Is it really possible? Can Cold Cliing Be Enjoyable?