5 levels of sales certainty

There’s a good reason why most sales training doesn’t work and it’s because it lacks the deeper nuances and what truly impacts the sale.

Before we begin, take a look at the diagram below.?

You’ll see the tip of the diagram illustrates mostly external areas such a body language and tone of voice.

At the other end of the spectrum, we’re focused more on the inner work required such as deep inner state and intention.?

In other words, the foundation of the triangle represents who you are on a deep level, where the tip is concentrated on skills which are very much seen in the outside world.

Sales training can be great, but mostly is lost in translation because the salesperson might have an underlying emotion of hating sales. Or worse, the pressure from their manager to hit sales targets and now the salesperson has anxiety running in the background + the intention is now focused on ‘hitting targets’ as opposed to sincerely helping the client.?

On the other hand, mindset coaches which state in order to increase your prices and charge your worth, it’s all about the inner work and again this is partially true, but misses the nuanced skillset and tangible steps to succeed.

This is why we can fall into the trap of believing it’s our mindset stopping us from thriving, when in reality we might simply be lacking the right way to approach a sales conversation (which can be achieved through sales training).

It’s only when we appreciate, everything matters and sales is in fact, an ecosystem stemming from your deep inner state, up to knowing the right question to ask in the right way and specifically, in the right moment.

This is where sales as a whole needs to evolve, from the beauty therapists who simply wants to re-book her clients, right up to the B2B salesperson who is looking to win their next 20 million pound contract.?

5 levels in greater detail.

1)Verbal

The words you say have power, or do they??

Sure enough, you want to choose your words wisely when it comes to sales, because one wrong choice of wording and you can lose the sale, or worse, offend potentially your biggest customer.

The reason why verbal is at the peak of the triangle, is because articulating through your choice of words and especially questions are still a key factor for success.

2)Body language and tone

The Mehrabian communication model states communication is 93% non verbal. In other words, most of what we say isn’t the words we use, but how we say them.

This includes everything from pitch, pace and tone of voice, to micro facial expressions and body language.

It might sound crazy, but the fastest way to lose the sale is to stutter over the price, or pitch up at the end of saying the price out loud.?

It’s subtle, but it now sounds like you’re unsure of the price which will place doubt in the mind of the client.?

This level is highly nuanced, but none more important than reaching a place where you’re no longer adapting your body language or tone of voice as a technique (as clients will subconsciously pick up on this).?

A classic error in sales training is when the seller is taught to mirror the client body language. Although this sounds good on paper, it usually results in the seller focusing on leaning forward, crossing their arms or doing some other weird movement to match the client.

The client usually notices this (although subconsciously) and trust is instantly lost.

You’re far better off matching body language, simply because you’re in natural rapport and both feeling calm and confident.?

3)Energy?

Clients buy into your energy.

If you imagine an iceberg, energy is where the iceberg sits between the surface of the ocean and slightly under it. Reason being, is because clients pick up on (metaphorically see’s) your energy. In fact, it’s the first thing they feel from you.

When your energy is off, the client will feel uncomfortable, even icky around you so they’re unlikely to want to take the next step with you.?

When your energy is on point, the client will instantly feel this during their time with you.

Your energy will be impacted by both the foundation and the tip of the triangle.?

If you have the right intention and you feel good, but you lack the fundamental sales skills, this will negatively impact your energy.

Likewise, you might have all the skills and know precisely what to say, but if you’re stressing about finances or simply don’t believe in your product, this equally creates in-congruency in your communication.

4)Intention?

If you need the sale more than the client needs the help, no sale will be made.

Most don’t realise the power of their intention and how this is picked up by the client.?

Despite the desire to help our client, when bills are overdue and we’re overwhelmed because the last 3 clients said “they need to think about it” this will all come out during our time with the client.

A tangible step we can take before any sales conversation, is to ask “what’s my intention here?"

If the intention is more selfish led (need to make money, this client better buy, I’m desperate to pay off this credit card), then it’s vital to slow down and consider your next step.?

Shifting to an intention of helping the client will in turn completely shift your energy. You’ll go from trying to convince, to seeing if you’re even the right fit to help the client or if they’re the right client for you.

We’ve all been sold to thousands of times in our lifetime, so once again our unconscious is always on the lookout for red flags and salespeople of any kind, are usually full of them.?

There’s many times where we may have even wanted to buy a product, but something made us say “I’ll think about it”.?

When our partner says “hey, but I thought you wanted that car?” We respond with, "something didn’t feel right".

If we’re willing to trust our instincts as a customer, it’s crucial to do the same when we’re in the sales position too.

Note: Ask the ‘what’s my intention’ question before you sit down for your next sales meeting.?

Oh yes - Of course it’s okay to want to hit your targets, to buy a new yacht or at least a McDonald’s with your commission, but first is helping the customer.?

5)Deep inner state?

How do you feel the moment you wake up in the morning??

I’m not talking about after 5 minutes to use the toilet and make a coffee, I’m talking about the unfiltered few moments when you first open your eyes.

For many, they wake up with a sense of dread, anxiety and as much as they try to caffeinate this feeling away, it’s always there in the background running the show.?

How do you think your sales results will be if you’re predominately running from a place of stress and worry?

This is where sales training can do a far better job, to identify the deeper issues which impact the sale.

It’s equally why some of the most skilled salespeople struggle, because they’re still wrestling with how they feel on a deeper level.

Sure enough, sales training can do a wonderful job of giving the skills to succeed, but we must go beneath the surface.

Equally, mindset coaches may do incredible work helping to shift gears and transform the mind, but without the nuanced skills, frameworks it can still result in a gap between where the seller is and ultimately wants to be.

The answer.

Well, imagine you’re able to combine the deeper work with building on the tangible skills over a the next 90 to 365 days, how do you think this will impact your overall confidence and sales results??

I know for most, they will say it will be transformational and they’re correct.

When we appreciate sales as an ecosystem and not as a technique or mindset hack, we can work organically from the foundation to the tip of the iceberg (triangle).?

Also, you don’t need to overthink ‘what comes first’, because like all ecosystems, everything supports one another.?

My personal mission in 2024, will be to share more of this entire ecosystem of sales, as it’s at the core of what I believe and have seen in the many I’ve been lucky enough to train over the years.?

So, if you'd like to see more of my work and be a part of everything I'm sharing with my community, make sure you follow me here and say "hi".

Here's the 5 layers of sales certainty one more time:?