by Tim Roberts
Sherlock Holmes once said, “I am the last and highest court of appeal in detection.” And then he’d get to snoopin’.
Our role and privilege here at Sandler Training, Trustpointe is to move the needle for sales organizations. This is achieved through intimate and transparent conversations with leadership. Leadership that most likely will have to take a risk, become vulnerable and share not only their goals and dreams for the company but also the inherent frustrations and challenges that go with developing best-of-class sales producers. That’s all a nice way to say, “We have to get to snoopin'.
During these meetings we build evidence. While emotions are a part of the process (People buy emotionally), in the end, facts, evidence and rubber meeting roads are what matters. It is then our challenge – and opportunity – to prove that we have heard and understood the facts of the case.
The same is true for you and your sales efforts. When a call stalls, the problem is yours, not the buyers. You didn’t tell them they couldn’t stall, so it’s their right to do so if they wish. The same is true for other statements they produce, like: “We need to get a few more quotes” or “We’ve decided not to decide right now.” You can’t get mad at them unless they agreed earlier not to do those things.
A stalled call requires a check of evidence. Whether you’re a sales manager managing salespeople or a frustrated salesperson, re-examine the history of the call by pulling out just the facts. Leave out the hearsay, leave out the innuendo, and certainly leave out the fluff about the alleged relationship. The quickest way to fixing a breakdown – even if it means closing the file – is to analyze the evidence. Who said what, specifically, and what, exactly did that mean?
Continually examining the evidence is one of your top KPI’s. Whether you’re aware of it or not, your company’s C-Suite executives listen for the facts of the sales case always. They know which salesperson has evidence of sound potential and who’s blowing smoke and about to get burned.
At Sandler Training, Trustpointe we help our clients inspect what they expect. To learn more about creating intimacy with prospects, forensic evidence studies and key performance indicators (KPI’s), contact Tim Roberts at 317-845-0041 or tim.roberts@sandler.com.
Sherlock Holmes also said, “You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear.”
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