The 10 Cartoon Commandments of Sales
Don't fade the fundamentals
In order to get good at a new skill there are fundamentals you must first learn before you can become truly great at it.
Sales is not only a skill.. but a super skill.
What are super skills?
Super skills are universally beneficial skills that once learned have a massive impact on your earning potential (and even quality of life tbh)
Sales is the most transferrable skill you can learn.
has a fantastic post on how everything in life is Sales here.Health is also another super skill (yes, getting in shape and healthy is a skill that can be learned. Follow
)Most salespeople avoid learning the fundamentals or learn the wrong fundamentals (aka the stuff that doesn’t matter / move the needle)
There is no point in looking for the next “new tactic” when you have no clue how a human being makes buying decisions.
Fundamentals > Gimmicks
You also won’t be able to fully appreciate/internalize advanced concepts (Frame Control, etc) because you are still at Unconscious Incompetence (NGMI)
In this post I’m going to outline 10 of the most important things you need to learn about sales. Even if you are “advanced” you should still review this.
The 10 Cartoon Commandments of Sales
Commandment #1: Always control the Frame
Frames are how we package our message when communicating with others. Frames underpin all human interactions and is the foundation for selling.
There are stronger or weaker ways we can package (Frame) our message.
A simple example would be “why are you looking for a new job?"
🤡: Because I need to make more money and the economy is bad
^ poor you :(
🐲: I outgrew my current company
^ Oh lala.. Lookie who is the prize now?
Important notes:
Frames don’t coexist. They are constantly engulfing each other. In healthy interactions, Frame is being passed back and forth with one party at the end of the interaction carving out the upper hand.
Frame control should be subtle and covert. This is what most people miss. They try to overtly take control of the interaction in an aggressive & hostile manner. As a result, the prospect wants nothing to do with you. Be subtle!
The two “ways” to control the Frame in Sales:
Do it first and/or preemptively
Identify the Frame the prospect is using so you can Reframe
My course goes into great detail on how to use Frame Control in your deals.
Commandment #2: Challenge their motive for Change
When a prospect meets with you it is because they believe there is something about their current state that can be changed for a better future state.
In a nutshell:
Current State + [Your solution] = Their Desired Future State
All sales are a Journey of Change.
The prospect goes from Point A → Point B
However, not every prospect who meets with you / expresses interest will go through this Change.
In fact, most don’t / won’t / can’t.
This can happen for a number of different reasons but ultimately it boils down to:
the problem they intended to solve isn’t preventing them from reaching any meaningful desired future state
In other words, sticking with the status quo is okay from their perspective. If they can continue as is without significant (perceived) consequences then they won’t Change (buy)
Prospects will only buy if the status quo is unsustainable.
Get to the heart of WHY they are seeking a change.
What is their motive?
Imagine a curious little kid in a sales meeting. What would that little guy do?
He would ask a lot of questions (and do it without fear & inhibition)..
Why is the prospect curious to learn more?
Why is the prospect looking to increase revenue?
Why is it a problem?
Why?
WHY?
WHY?
Commandment #3: Playing Dumb is smart
Don’t be afraid to struggle a bit in front of prospects. Prospects already have their guards up around salespeople so you must be disarming.
This isn’t an invitation to be an idiot nor does it mean rapport building (i.e kissing their ass).. this is getting them to feel comfortable with us so they let us help them.
Prospects generally view salespeople in 2 ways:
Threatening
Incompetent
We want to tackle #1 but not at the expense of #2.
Here are examples of struggling without sacrificing Status:
Struggling to understand at times i.e “Help me understand?”
Struggling to ask a hard & challenging question i.e “A bit of an uncomfortable question.. but..”
Struggling in general i.e scratching your head, *sigh*, deliberate “uhh” and “ahh”
Forgetting a minor detail
Don’t overdo this. Sprinkle it only after you’ve established yourself as High Status. Only then will it be perceived as disarming & endearing.
Doing it too quickly and often will backfire because it will reinforce what they’ve already thought of you (incompetent).
Think of it as Strategic Vulnerability. People are attracted to each others imperfections.
Who do you think the prospect will be more comfortable with? the know-it-all or the less polished & curious salesperson?
The answer is obvious. A little chink in the armor can go a long way in making the prospect feel comfortable with you.
And when the prospect is comfortable with you, they will trust you and open up to you.
Commandment #4: Disqualify.. hard
Good salespeople don’t sell.. they Disqualify.
They know that there are more reasons for a prospect not to move forward with them than there are to and as a result want to be highly efficient with their time & energy.
In other words, they only want to speak with prospects who are ready to move forward now.
The best salespeople deal with the reasons a prospect can’t / shouldn’t move forward first so that if the prospect is still in the deal, they are statistically more likely to move forward.
You are more likely to find hidden information that would make the prospect unqualified than you are to nuke a deal by giving them a reason not to move forward that they hadn’t thought of.
Disqualification also means you have a strong Frame because you set boundaries.
Don’t like their buying process? then you tell them you are walking away. Simple as that (and many times they will chase you!)
You tell the prospect how to buy from you.
You tell them what they need to be open to in order to be a good fit for you.
You spin prospects in & out of your Frame.
You grow a pair.
Commandment #5: Diagnose their problems like a Doctor
Most salespeople struggle on two fronts here:
They don’t go deep enough with their questioning
They make the prospect feel like they are being cross examined
The trick is to go deep while humanizing your questions.
When a prospect mentions a problem, do not launch into sales mode rattling off features & benefits. This is step 1.
Step 2 is to diagnose the scope & severity of their problem in a human & non threatening manner.
You have to get comfortable asking questions like:
🐲: Help me out, what do you mean when you say xyz?
🐲: Are you sure? I mean, when did you realize this was a problem?
🐲: I get you.. and what have you done to try to fix this.. surely you guys have tried to fix it right?
🐲: I know money can be an uncomfortable topic, umm.. *sigh* Do you think it’s costing you money?
🐲: Do you think it’s affecting you guys negatively?
Commandment #6: The customer is often not right
How many times have you heard:
“The customer is always right!”
I’ll tell you where this advice came from. It came from the belief that sales is all about the customer. This is true. They are right in the sense they make the final decision how to spend their money. So we need to be mindful of that.
But it doesn’t mean they are right about what they think they need. In fact, prospects are often wrong about what problem they really need to solve. This is especially true in complex sales, B2B, etc.
Amateur salespeople rely way too much on the prospects diagnosis of what they say they need. They never challenge the prospect because the “customer is always right”.
As a result, prospects (often) make bad buying decisions and salespeople fail to truly help their buyers. This is also why “buyers remorse” happens.
If you want to truly be of service to your prospects, challenge them.
There’s a chance you’re not the right solution for them.
And that’s okay.
Commandment #7: Always address the elephant in the room
Ever been in a meeting and feel something is off?
This is your gut trying to tell you there is a big fat fucking elephant in the room that is waiting to be addressed.
And the longer you wait to address it, the bigger that fucker gets. He will grow to the point he takes up the entire room and nukes your deal.
If you feel something is off, call it.
Running towards the discomfort will bring down walls and build trust.
For example, let’s say the meeting is about to start. You’ve got the decision maker on the call but you have no idea what his/her decision making process is. In other words, you have no idea what intention is for the call.
Are you going to be like every other salesperson and sweep the “issues” under the rug?
Or are you going to sack up and ask them:
🐲: What’s an ideal outcome for you for this call?
Prospect: bla bla
🐲: And assuming you get bla bla, what happens then?
or how about:
🐲: If by the end of this meeting you aren’t 100% convinced we can help you, I ask that you tell me “No”.. are you comfortable with that?
Prospect: Yes of course
🐲: Great. and if based on your answers I don’t believe we can help you, would you hate me if I told you it’s a No from us?
You have nothing to lose by being authentic.
Commandment #8: Sell using Status and Value
There are 2 ways to sell anything:
Value
Status
The best salespeople use both.
However, Status is so potent that even if you were selling a dogshit product you’d crush it if you have High Status.
Just think of those shady supplements, fat burners, etc being pushed by celebrities. They sold like hotcakes. People bought because of Status first, Value second.
You don’t need to be a celebrity in order to have High Status.
Being perceived as High Status can be as simple as changing your job title from “Inside Sales Representative” to “Strategic Accounts” and building a personal brand on Linkedin, etc.
High Status can also be demonstrated by asking the prospect questions they don’t know the answer to but should. Show the prospect you know more than they do with your mannerisms.
How would someone who is financially independent and an evangelist for your solution act / behave? Do that.
Commandment #9: They need you more than you need them
The only reason you put up with their shit is because you need the money. But what if you don’t need the money? then you cease needing them.
If you don’t close this one deal, you can find another.
What if the prospect doesn’t solve their problem? Well then they are stuck with their problem.
In every other context, the one with the solution has the leverage.
Imagine going to a doctor and having an attitude that they are lucky that you are even considering them to solve your problem.
Imagine if you expect them to sell themselves to you and you demand a discount too. You would get laughed out of the room.
So why is it any different in sales?
It shouldn’t be.
YOU are the one who invested your own time & energy building a good solution.
YOU are the one who can help them get what they want.
What do they have?
a bunch of complaints and some money.
YOU are the Prize, not them.
Commandment #10: Chasing is for Losers
Bad salespeople are constantly chasing prospects.
Whether it’s chasing them during prospecting, during a meeting, or chasing afterwards for a decision, it’s all the same.
They need to chase in order to get mediocre results.
If you have to chase then it is your fault.
There are no consequences for the prospect to rag doll you.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
You can have clarity.
Imagine if you told the prospect you’re going to walk away if they don’t hold up their end of the agreement to make a decision by a mutually agreed upon date.
Imagine if by the end of each meeting you knew exactly what would happen next.
Imagine if you didn’t have to chase and were still a top performer.
This is what the top performers do.
If you don’t control the sales process, the prospect will.
Prospects aren’t mean. They just don’t want to be the one to give you bad news.
Humans are always focused on serving their own best interests, so ask yourself:
“As a buyer, is it in my best interest to feel the discomfort of telling a salesperson ‘No’? Or am I better off just ghosting them? I’m sure they’ll get the message!”
Giving you a rejection is not in their best interests so they won’t do it.. unless you ask them to.
In that case it becomes a matter of being consistent & congruent to their "agreement” with you. And they will be more likely to honor this agreement.
So on every call, agree on either next steps or a No (a No from them or you)
The word “No” needs to be perfectly okay throughout your entire sales process.
The closer you follow the letter of these commandments, the easier it will be to influence others and close deals.
- SalesGuy
Phenomenal