STOP SELLING TO PAIN ( #2 )

Earlier this week I posted about the need to stop selling to pain and received some of the most enthusiastic and positive response I have ever had on this platform. Clearly, I struck a nerve.

Good.

It was not my intent with the original post to go deeper on this subject, however I now feel compelled to share the methodology my teams have been using for the past 6-8 years. The initial offer remains, click on the calendar link in my profile to book a meeting to discuss how we do this in the wild.

What I am not going to do is make some wild promises or offer you magic beans ( another of my recent posts ). This requires work and dedication consistently across the business on every deal except the most transactional.

First, in order for this process to work you must institute it globally. All sellers must use the same conversation track. The questions must be laid out in your CRM system wherever you have your deal qualification notes. If you do not do this you will have no way to validate adherence or measure the results.

To be blunt, there is no need to continue reading if you cannot or will not do this first step.

Second is that you must stop using BANT, ANUM or anything similar as it is in conflict with this process. This is not a script or a checklist. This is a conversation between your seller and the prospect.?

This process obviates the need to ask about the budget ( which in most cases is a useless question as you will get “no answer” or a fear based lie ).

Now that we are in agreement, here are things to know about using the “4 W’s “

The first question is a pattern interrupt and must be delivered as written for that reason. Open the call with whatever upfront commitment you prefer ( Sandler Upfront Contract, AXNOT, etc) and then ask the question -

( for an inbound lead ) “ What happened that made you decide to speak to XYZ company for a conversation?”

( for an outbound lead ) “I know that everyone has a packed schedule, what happened that you agreed to take this meeting?”

The “What happened” question is seeking the catalyst for the sales engagement, it is NOT the business problem. That is covered in the “Why” question.?

I wish I realized this when I was an Individual Contributor- No qualified opportunity in a B2B sale starts without some triggering event. It can be that something bad happened and that created an awareness at an executive level and urgency to find a solution. It could be something good like an acquisition or new product launch. Ultimately ( and especially in the modern era ), unless the “What happened” question doesn’t have a strong catalyst and a directive for a change then you are likely headed to a "no decision" outcome.

You can love your product all you want, however no one wakes up in the morning and decides that today is the day they are buying your product as if it were some long awaited gift to themselves.?

What you are looking for is the pain moving to weakness or an untenable situation. The "4 W’s" conversation is designed to do that and to put you in position as a Trusted Advisor or to know that you have someone who may be interested and also may be trying to solve personal pain without authorization to spend money or make a decision.

The "4 W’s" are attached ( and yes, I know I should probably not give these away for free). Getting this first call right is the difference between working truly qualified opportunities or not. Between a win and a no decision, or a deal that just ages in the pipeline and messes up your forecast every month and every quarter.

Sales leaders- forecast calls must include validation of the "4 W’s" for every deal. Check the CRM system notes for completion and accuracy. Make sure your teams know the difference between the catalyst and the business problem.

Pre-call research is always required and discovery is a separate conversation and step in the process. We only do discovery on deals that are qualified. We don't do discovery to try to get a deal to qualify!!!

Good selling!