Sales = Who Says What When & Why. Part 2 - What.
Part 1 looked at "Who" is speaking and the key take away is that if you don't know why you are speaking in a sales dialogue than you should see a big Red Stop Sign that says WAIT.
WAIT stands for WHY AM I TALKING?
Part 2 is about What is being said and this has a lot to do where the potential deal sits on the timeline. When teaching this in the past we have used the rooms in a house as an example as the link below shows.
What is said is driven by the room you are in, the room drives the context.
https://www.banyantreestrategies.com/uploads/1/4/0/2/14027822/house_tour_theory_filled_and_blank.pdf
Another sales framework we have created is WHY, HOW, WHEN. This contemplates the following questions a buying team maybe considering.
- WHY would this product or service be good for us?
- HOW will it work within our company?
- WHEN will we have the time to integrate this change?
All three questions are in the air of every call, but getting the sequence correct is vital.
WHAT is about getting the buyers to talk when you are in sales and that comes with the right questions and statements.
WHAT is also about tone and if in person body language.
WHAT is also about what is not said.
WHAT is also about being quiet after you have asked your question and giving the buying team time to think and respond.
PLEASE DON'T TALK OVER A QUESTION THAT MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE EDGE TO IT.
We call this "puking on your shoes" and it typically shows up when a member of your team is more worried about the relationship than the deal.
People buy with their mouths, not their ears so if you don't shut up, they can't buy.
WHO says WHAT.....is about planning and practice.
Great sales teams don't WING IT even though they may look like they just fly in with no prep.
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