We have earned degrees, attended workshops, memorized sales manuals, shadowed top guns, and yet for most of us, it’s a grind.
It seems to me that many of the currently practiced sales techniques, from SPIN Selling to Sandler’s Submarine, were developed with an emphasis on having a defined system in mind which salesperson needs to closely follow in order to convert a prospect into a client. Well, it’s time to let these rigid techniques rest in peace.
Based on my experience in sales, following a predefined sales process is counterproductive. This robot-like approach is very stressful and significantly lowers our levels of resourcefulness, creativity and intelligence by keeping our brainpower focused on following the rules and not on analyzing the content.
My bottom line advice to my fellow sales colleagues is to approach a prospect with an empty mind, blank canvas. No agenda. No expectations for the outcome. Practice being in a state of service. Clear and stress-free mind backed by product knowledge and innate intelligence will guide us towards the most appropriate outcome. In a long run, it will enable us to have rewarding careers and healthy mindsets.
