What Actually Drives Sales

🤔 Crappy products can still have GREAT sales.

🤯 World's best products or services can have HORRIBLE sales.

It's the opposite of what should happen so why is it?

The reason... if you don’t connect with your buyers, they will close the door before experiencing how great your product really is.

When we talk about which sales reps are succeeding and who isn't, I hear it all the time: “Of course, they're succeeding, they get the best leads,” or “Their product sells itself.” But let’s cut through the noise and get to the heart of sales success.

Over the last decade of leading sales teams, I’ve seen the full spectrum: reps soaring and others struggling to take off. And yes, the better the rep, the more they seem to attract those 'golden' leads. Why? Because they understand that leads are only as good as the sales they close. 

Sales reps can lose deals that are ready to buy. Here are 3 recent examples of me going through others' sales process. 

Case Study 1: The Misguided Presenter

I sat through a pitch where the rep boasted about their service, yet couldn't nail our company's name. They fixated on features instead of our needs. Their product could've been a hit, but their pitch? A miss.

Case Study 2: The Slow Responder

Another rep mastered the art of conversation, asking insightful questions that resonated with our challenges. But then they took a week to follow up with a proposal. My thoughts… if it takes this long during the sales process, it’s probably going to be even worse when we start working together.

Case Study 3: The Slide Deck Dependence

Energy was high in the third pitch, but their presentation was not tailored to us. My attention drifted. Despite a few sparks of relevance, their inability to personalize left me trying to piece together their potential value.

These experiences reminded me: that it’s not about your product or service; it’s about your prospect. Don’t just showcase your offerings; dive deep into their world. Connect by understanding their pains and aspirations, and then paint a picture of how you can uniquely address them.

Couple Tips:

• Ask questions... duh! I know it's basic but so many would rather assume about them and get to what they love most (themselves, company, and product)
• If you want to flex your muscles... do it through deeper dive questions. Shows them this isn't your first rodeo and you know what they are most likely experiencing
• Don't show them anything that you don't know how it applies to them... may require you to ask more questions passed discovery. 
• Continue to refer to what they told you as you explain your product and service... don't leave it up to them to connect the dots between their world and your solution. 
• Be timely and responsive... typically sales process is where companies put their best foot forward. If you are slow in the sales process, it says that once they become a customer it will be even worse. 

Selling isn’t about rattling off features or cozying up over sports talk. It’s about confidently guiding your buyers to see a future that’s brighter with your solution in hand.

So the next time you’re in front of a prospect, forget the “look at what I can do” approach. Instead, ask yourself, “How can I make their life easier?” That’s the secret sauce to not just meeting targets, but shattering them.

Kim

PS... that 3rd bullet point of never tell them anything about what you do without knowing how it will apply to them is GOLD. That's the THING that keeps you in check of what you really know about them and what they need.