When a colleague brought her 5-year-old son, Tim, to a summer league softball game recently, sales coach Kelley Robertson (fearless-selling.ca) said just observing the energetic boy through the length of the game provided several insights on what most salespeople can do better.
Curiosity
During the game Tim asked a constant stream of questions. His mother would say something and he peppered her with questions. She would answer and he would ask another question. His favorite question was “Why?” Top salespeople are genuinely interested in their prospect’s business and ask thought-provoking questions to get the answers.
No fear
Most salespeople have some fears and hesitations, especially when it comes time to ask for a commitment or asking tough, probing questions. 5-year-old kids, especially boys, have no fear. No question is stupid or irrelevant. They have no hesitations in asking for something they want.
Persistence
During our game, the young boy kept asking for another slice of pizza — the mom brought pizza to the game. His mother kept saying no but that didn’t prevent him from continuing to ask. Eventually, his mother relented and gave him a slice of the pizza. Most salespeople don’t persist enough. They end a cold call as soon as their prospect says no and give up when they encounter any type of resistance.
Rejection
Even though this kid’s mother kept saying no, he didn’t take it personally. He didn’t allow the initial rejection to prevent him from continuing to ask for the pizza (aka the sale). He wasn’t afraid of the rejection or concerned that his mother kept saying no. He ignored the rejection and kept persevering. Eventually, he got what he wanted.
Baggage
Behaviors are learned. Salespeople often miss out on valuable sales opportunities because they don’t ask enough questions or because they give up too soon. They carry around baggage from previous sales interactions and allow this baggage to prevent them capitalizing on high-potential sales.
What have your salespeople stopped doing that could increase your sales? Is it asking more probing questions? Is it asking for the sale one more time? Is it establishing contact with a prospect who was initially not interested in your solution?
