Today Tibor Shanto, CEO of Renbor Sales Solutions and co-author of SHifT
(a book on trigger events), shares how his own expertise actually hurt
his sales success. It's hard to believe that you can be too smart in
this business, but as you'll soon discover, it can happen.
This worked well -- until things stopped happening as I pictured them.
One particular instance, I was asked a specific question by a prospect. I "knew exactly" what he wanted to learn about -- and the perfect response that would win me the deal.
I delivered my answer, and was never invited back.
I blamed it on "stupid client." But my manager wouldn't let me off easily. He asked if I followed up with the buyer to clarify where he was coming from, what he was trying to understand, and why he was asking that question.
Of course I didn't. After all "I knew those things." The question my prospect asked was related to whether the service should be hosted or onsite. Rather than drilling down, I delivered what I thought was the right answer.
After losing the deal, I circled back to find out what went wrong, and what I could have done differently. It turned out that they'd had a bad experience with a hosted solution. If I'd drilled down on the spot, I could have learned that right away. And, my response would have been completely different.
Since then I developed a routine of always asking 3 – 5 follow up questions I ask every time no matter how simple or complex the question and related situation is. As an unanticipated added benefit, it has helped put me in the light of an interested partner, rather than a one track vendor.
http://www.jillkonrath.com/
____________
When I first started out in sales, like many, I was more ego-driven
than knowledge or experience based. Whenever someone said something, I
knew exactly what they meant. All they had to do was say one thing and I
could picture, in my mind, how the whole conversation would unfold.This worked well -- until things stopped happening as I pictured them.
One particular instance, I was asked a specific question by a prospect. I "knew exactly" what he wanted to learn about -- and the perfect response that would win me the deal.
I delivered my answer, and was never invited back.
I blamed it on "stupid client." But my manager wouldn't let me off easily. He asked if I followed up with the buyer to clarify where he was coming from, what he was trying to understand, and why he was asking that question.
Of course I didn't. After all "I knew those things." The question my prospect asked was related to whether the service should be hosted or onsite. Rather than drilling down, I delivered what I thought was the right answer.
After losing the deal, I circled back to find out what went wrong, and what I could have done differently. It turned out that they'd had a bad experience with a hosted solution. If I'd drilled down on the spot, I could have learned that right away. And, my response would have been completely different.
Since then I developed a routine of always asking 3 – 5 follow up questions I ask every time no matter how simple or complex the question and related situation is. As an unanticipated added benefit, it has helped put me in the light of an interested partner, rather than a one track vendor.
http://www.jillkonrath.com/
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου