Hardest Part of Sales?
Sales is hard! You were so lucky! They have a better area than me!
How many times have you heard this or have even said it yourself. I know I have and sometimes I think I have even believed it.
So I had to change and to be fair didn't know where to start, so I read some stuff, watched some stuff and even listened to others. Then we had some training (I have never been convinced in classroom stuff) and it made me step back and think what am I doing.
I realised I had the energy, the drive and the passion but not the right line of questioning and the right approach. So I took the main bits I liked and what worked well and what I connected with to create a method which removed what was perceived to be the Hardest part in sales - CLOSING
CLOSING - LOL - trust me it if you have done it right the CLOSE is easy peesy! Its only hard if you haven't taken the time to understand the client, know their pain and then earned the right to ask for their business. Be a good opener be a better closer.
So I created this method - its not fall proof - but it does give you a structure and a tool to dip in to and critique your own sales.
Let me give you SHIV
- SEEK - big open questions - seek as much info you can find and listen for the HOOKS
- HONE - get some specifics, metrics, numbers - this will build your story and uncover the pain
- INSPIRE - tell your story, use what they have told you and show you have listened, understood and can relay their challenges and pain
- VERIFY - confirm what they have told you, ensure you have what you need and they need, this is your chance to find more HOOKS - if you get more - you need to start again
I ran a session last week to see if I could convey this message, the audience seem interested, but I pretty charismatic, and modest! I then listened to calls to found the difference in the line of questioning and then found people going from ￡10K proposals to ￡50K proposals. I hear proposals! so what! well the conversion rate went up, sales went up, commission went up, morale went up.
The team went from being afraid to ask for business to making more sales. We can all sell, you may have a different style but by asking and listening will really help you.
Not bad for a 4 letter acronym.
Helping make Mimecast's sellers even more awesome!
4 年Hi Luke - this is fab! The sad reality is that many sellers stumble through a series of seller-centric questions as they seek only to develop their own understanding. The prospect gets nothing of value from such an interrogation, and of course nobody wants to feel like they've been sucked dry of answers by a Sales-Dementor. What I love about your SHIV is that it's conversational and delivers value both for the prospect as well as for the seller. Hope you're well old bean! ??