Lessons To Unlearn in Sales

As sales systems evolve, it is important for sales people and entrepreneurs to unlearn and learn. So what is unlearning? It is to let go of the things which you have learned. The problem isn’t learning, it’s unlearning. In every aspect of business, especially in sales, we are operating with mental models that have grown outdated or obsolete; from leadgen, to demos, to negotiations. To embrace the new logic of value creation, we have to unlearn the old one.

Stop Selling Features

As teens we compare the specs of different phones, and based on these specs, we decide which one is superior. We apply the same to our sales calls. People have little interest in purchasing a bed. What they want is a good night's sleep. Founders and sales people must go beyond selling features. Feature dumping is one of the worst mistakes salespeople make, including experienced ones.

It is very important to know the customer’s pain points. Inform your customer about the product’s benefits, and tell him how your product will solve his pain points.

Here are a few things you can try out:

- List down all the features of your product

- List down all benefits of the above features

- List down all RoIs to the customers with the above benefits

Be Ready To Discuss Pricing:

Many sales people and entrepreneurs will freeze when the conversation shifts to cost/pricing. You may have a great product or service, but if the client can't afford it, all your work may have gone to waste.

It is better to disclose price and terms in the first meeting, otherwise you may waste your valuable time pursuing dead leads. Please note it will also help your champion at the customer’s location to position your product/service properly.

Make sure to:

- List down all pricing, if required take a printout to meetings

- List down the discount slabs

- List down the volume discounts

You should be prepared enough to answer: “What’s your best price?” in 30 secs. Never talk price before value. List down the benefits and RoI, and then discuss the price.

Talk Less And Listen More

Is selling all about talking and presentation skills? No, it is not. It is more about listening. Listen with the intent to understand. Active sales start when you communicate with you customer. Communication is not a one way street, it must always be two sided. Many sales people have the habit of reciting their content to customer. Always start your sales pitch after a minimum of five questions.

It is better to prepare the questionnaire beforehand, in order to engage with customers. Here is a structure you can follow:

- Prepare a standard questionnaire with a minimum of 7 questions

- Prepare a industry specific questionnaire with a minimum 3 questions

- Prepare a profile specific questionnaire with at least 3 questions

Do prepare thoroughly for each meeting. Also, it’s a good idea to eliminate the obvious questions.

There are many more lessons to unlearn, I will share them in near future. Until then, work on the above unlearning lessons, to learn to become a better salesperson.