A to Z Guide to Selling More: Q is for Qualifying

Qualifying prospects is a critical selling skill set. When you qualify a prospect, you have conversations with prospects to learn:

· Does the prospect buy what you sell?

· Do they want to solve the problem you can solve?

· Do they want the value you provide?

· What bundle of benefits is the prospect looking for?

· Will they purchase at your price point?

· What alternative products/services are they considering?

· Are they willing to buy the product/service from you?

To qualify an account, you must ask questions. Great questions interest buyers and make them think. They also position you as a smart sales professional who is genuinely dedicated to helping customers.

KeFactors Friday: Qualities of Trustworthy People

They keep their promises—not just to you, but everyone else in their lives, including and especially their children. This covers everything from tangible deliverables to intangible pledges of support. And if they see they can’t, they let you know as early as possible, and discuss alternatives. Also, they take it as a learning opportunity to improve on their own promise-keeping skills.

They’re disciplined. They’re self-disciplined. They understand responsibility. If they make a mistake, they own it and strive to never repeat it. They spend hours in self-reflection and thus build their own self-awareness.

Trust is a big deal to them. It’s a value, a daily consideration. It’s part of the question they ask themselves when they look in the mirror at night and ask, “Have I done my best today?” They’re not afraid to require it of their relationships, or to deliver on it. Be very wary of anyone who lives out trust in a situational or compartmentalized manner (eg, an individual whose boss can trust him, but whose wife and children cannot).

They’re skilled listeners, or they’re striving to be. Is this so surprising? They understand trust is psychological safety, and how can you achieve that if you can’t demonstrate you’re listening?

They perceive relationships as collaborations, and are very articulate about the gains and losses in achieving any “win-win” compromise. Anyone who sees “winning” as a zero-sum game is not trustworthy.

They perceive relationships as longterm bonds. Again, be very wary of anyone who sees trust as the situational commodity of a relationship.

They have long-term relationships in their personal and professional lives. In this, your Grandaunt Sallie was correct: For Pete’s sake, don’t “marry” the person who has a history of short-lived friendships. It points to an embedded haywire somewhere….All human relationships are flawed, complex processes, and the individual who has longterm friendships very likely has good relational skills.

Trustworthy people are individuals who “get it.” Look for signs of emotional and social intelligence, for habits of lifelong learning, as well as professional know-how and attentiveness to the customer’s experience of the work being provided.

A to Z Guide to Selling More: P is for Pain

Eliminating pain is the shortest route to a new sale. To find pain points, talk to customers about their problems. Learn what they complain about on a regular basis.

When calling prospects to set up initial meetings, this is an effective way to cold call.

· Introduce yourself.

· Describe a problem you solve.

· Ask the prospect if they want to solve that problem.

· If they do want to solve it, explain your solution in 15 words or less.

· Ask for meeting for further discussion.

Complaints don't always lead to sales. This is the case when buyers complain, but the problem isn’t critical and they won’t spend money to eliminate it.

Often, the person complaining doesn’t have the authority to fix it. Or, the problem is complex and affects several departments. To sell in this situation, you have to a higher level and identify the person who can authorize a purchase.

Good questions to identify pain points are:

· What is the biggest problem you want to fix today?

· What problem does your boss want you to solve?

· What keeps you awake at night?

A to Z Guide to Selling More: O is for Opportunity

Have you ever called a prospect only to hear something along the lines of “I love what you’re selling but I wish you had called yesterday before I bought this from your competitor.” Those words are an instant downer because you missed out on an opportunity.

It’s important to evaluate the cost of lost selling opportunities and how to eliminate “you’re too late” conversations about just-lost sales.

If you sell hamburgers, every new day creates new opportunities to sell. Same is true for coffee, candy bars and paperback books. These are low-cost, low-risk consumables we buy again and again.

When we buy cars, carpet, or computers for home or a business, the cost of a lost opportunity today has bigger ramifications for sales professionals because it may be one year or many before the customer is ready to purchase again.