Sales Training Series #4
Insights from my recent trainings
Welcome back to another Sales Training series!
These posts are intended to give you insight into what it’s like to train with me while providing actionable tips you can use in your day to day.
Note: I intentionally keep the descriptions of my clients vague for privacy reasons.
Insight #1: Sometimes all you need is *one* good reframe
Sales isn’t rocket science.. it’s sales.
I have a client who tries to remember everything he “needs” to do while on the calls with prospects.
Instead of being in the moment he is preoccupied worrying about the next thing he wants to ask / say.
This is a common symptom of perfectionism.
As a result of this behavior he often misses key information while asking “checklist” questions that have nothing to do with what the prospect just said (this turns prospects off)
I offered him a Reframe.
Reframes help you and/or the prospect see things in a new way. When a Reframe is done right it can result in a change in behavior.
Reframe → New Behavior = Different outcomes
Here’s the reframe I offered:
How would you behave if all you cared about was determining if the buyer is committed to solving the right problem?
*pause*
Let the Reframe sink in.
How would you (yes you) behave if all you cared about was determining if the buyer is committed to solving the right problem?
You would be skeptical & curious
You wouldn’t try to convince them of anything
You would appear competent because you’re more focused on the problem / opportunity than closing the deal
Internalizing this reframe can help him (and you) naturally give off the right attitude and behave in a way that is productive.
When it’s natural it becomes effortless.
I call this Effortless Competence.
Pre call planning is also important however you often won’t get check everything off your list on the first call.
And that’s okay.
Focus on the 80/20 (getting the critical info) while being present.
Prospects can tell when you’re not really listening and they can tell you’re just trying to go through your qualification criteria.
Insight #2: Perception matters
My client was setting the Frame in the beginning of the call:
“And if I think it’s a good fit we’ll do [next step]”
The prospect got visibly uncomfortable.
Why?
Because of one word.
“I”
The way he framed the next steps was too confrontational and vague which created resistance in the prospect.
After having said that the prospect, on some level, is thinking:
“If he thinks it’s a good fit? Who is this guy?”
This is not what you want your prospect thinking while on the call with you.
I recommended changing just one thing:
“And if we think it’s a good fit we’ll do [next step]”
we as in the salesperson and his company
Subcommunicates the salesperson is aligned with the company and is following “standard procedures” .. People don’t like “surprises”
The contrast between the status / authority of the salesperson and the company is huge so using “we” reduces that contrast
I = creates resistance
We = raises status
Insight #3: “Honestly” isn’t the best policy
Saying “Honestly” is a bad habit that plagues all salespeople
Dropping it once or twice in conversation isn’t the end of the world.. but my client said it many times throughout his call.
🤡: Honestly it shouldn’t be much of an issue..
🤡: Honestly I like the way you guys are doing xyz
🤡: Yeah honestly..
Why is prefacing your responses with “Honestly” a problem?
Because it implies everything you said prior to that point was dishonest.
Even if that isn’t true (i.e you were being 100% honest the entire time) the buyer has no way of really knowing.
Better to Reframe from “Honesty” to “Candidness”
🐲: I’ll be candid
🐲: I’ll be blunt / upfront
🐲: I’ll be more direct
These statements improve the odds that the prospect will be more understanding that you were “not doing it” prior..
Saying “I’ll be blunt” implies you weren’t being blunt before (not a bad thing)
Saying “I’ll be honest” implies you weren’t being honest before (a bad thing)
Plus everyone can respect someone who is being “real” about their thoughts and opinions. Saying the word “honestly” robs you of that.
Insight #4: Stop shrinking yourself
🤡: Yeah so the purpose of this call is to kinda just learn a little bit more about you
🤡: So what I want to do is kinda go through just a few questions on this call..
🤡: This is kinda what we say to basically all our customers as well..
Does that sound like an adult speaking? or a child?
Children and Low Status adults use what I call “minimizers”
They are trying to orient themselves to the status of the other party which results in symptoms of lack of confidence, such as weak language.
It’s natural for children to behave this way. It’s not natural for grown ass men to.
Sounds familiar?
“kinda”
“just”
“real quick”
“you know”
“I guess I was just”
Stop mincing your words. It’s better to say something stupid boldly than something smart timidly.
Insight #5: Ignore the elephant in the room at your own peril
Prospect: We don’t have to make a decision today do we?
🤡: No no no! not at all! this is just a surface level conversation to better understand your needs
If you see a threat to your deal you need to address it ASAP.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a qualification call and you can’t close them even if you wanted to.
You hear a prospect saying some BS like above?
Address it:
🐲: Can I ask why you wouldn’t or couldn’t make a decision on this call?
🐲: Well anyway you couldn’t join on this call even if you wanted to because this is just a preliminary call. However, I am curious as to why you brought that up?
If you don’t address it it you are actively sabotaging your deal + going to make your AE’s / closers hate you because you are passing up unqualified leads.
Remember, your job isn’t to convince anyone of anything.
Your job is to find the Truth.. if they are suitable to be your next customer.
If you want to learn more about the strategies outlined in this post and/or want it customized for what you sell, you can:
1. Train with me (send me a DM if interested)
2. Check out my course
#4 is a brutal reminder to be vigilant against minimizer filler words, which are often accompanied with upspeak where everything you say sounds like weak question.