Staying Curious
The future of sales belongs to the curious.
THOUGH “CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT”- IT SAVED THE SALESPERSON.
Many of us have been taught the age-old, transactional “features and benefits” sales method, which involves selling potential clients with features and benefits of our product we believe the prospect might benefit from. This technique isn’t built for meaningful conversation or deep questions. This method teaches salespeople to always deliver a strong sales pitch, grab their attention immediately while loading them with information, focus on closing every sale, challenge all objections and keep calling no matter what. This methodology has encouraged sales teams to sell what they know instead of finding out what we can learn. However, the old days of using this aggressive sales method and similar traditional sales techniques are over!
Today, the most successful companies realize that the key to long-term sales results and happy customers is using a technique often referred to as Relationship Selling. Relationship Selling is a sales technique that focuses on building, maintaining, and enhancing communication in order to develop long-term customer satisfaction. It does so by more effectively connecting with potential clients while generating measurable results for your company in the process. How though?
How do we as salespeople connect more effectively though? Curiosity. This is done using curiosity in all aspects of the sales process. Without true curiosity, salespeople fail to engage prospects, offer the best solution or grow from feedback. Without this genuine curiosity for the prospect, the discovery process may feel like an interrogation to potential clients.
Most think that curiosity is just a matter of asking more questions - BUT it’s not enough to ask questions; you actually have to listen for the answers! When objections surface, we need to ask questions that will put the prospect at ease and create a relationship, rather than going on the defensive.
ARE YOU CURIOUS?
For starters, what does it mean to be curious? Curiosity is defined as a strong desire to know or learn something. As the desire to learn grows, curiosity motivates people to look for answers from a wide range of sources until they’re able to obtain all the information they seek. This is where our finely tuned sales abilities will come into play.
Ask questions that help you better understand your client - not just those that allow you to sell your product/service
- Ask more “Why?” and “What if…” questions.
- Do your homework before you meet with a prospect. Who is this person?
- Dig deep to find out what really matters to your customers.
Listen intently and so deeply to your prospects needs, issues, and desires.
- Get to know your customers’ inner worlds and discover how it affects their outer worlds.
- Instead of reacting negatively, seek to really understand why a prospect might be putting off a decision.
“For every disciplined effort, there’s a multiple reward” (Jim Rohn)
CURIOSITY’S IMPACT ON THE SALES PROCESS
Dictionaries define selling as “persuading or inducing someone to buy”, while Wikipedia defines the act of selling as “to trick, cheat, or manipulate someone.” As an outcome, potential clients have learned to be cautious of product claims and suspicious of the person selling the product. In today’s world, people are constantly and continually barraged by other people trying to sell them a product or service. New technology that educates, entertains, and brings us closer together. But for poorly timed marketing that connection begins to feel like solicitations – letters, email, Internet ads, catalogs and flyers, phone messages, and television ads – occur non-stop. The result, potential clients are wary of products and services as well as the salesperson pushing them. They grow hard shells and practice selective hearing to safeguard their wallets and sanity and will only lower their guard for those they trust.
That’s why curiosity is so important in the sales process.
Curiosity makes our prospects feel important, special, and listened to. Curiosity lets our prospect know they are being valued. We, as humans, are naturally drawn to those who make us feel better ourselves - they’re the kind of people we want to be like and around. Curiosity helps us to build the relationship with our prospects while separating ourselves from the “salesperson” stigma that follows us. Curiosity is a mentality that allows us to investigate instead dictate, learn instead of teach, and understand instead of close. It allows our prospects to know that we are trustworthy and always have their best interest at heart.
It’s really quite a simple formula.
More thoughtful questions + more listening + aligning value + less talking = SUCCESS
STAY CURIOUS
To reap the benefits of a long, lucrative career in sales - you must embrace curiosity and relationship selling. Building these relationships, while being curious, will create value in you and your product - leading to sales success and personal satisfaction. This proven method will not only produce more sales, but it lets you work with people whom you like, increase your earnings, and earn greater respect and recognition as a salesperson within your company.
In conclusion, curiosity improves discovery calls by allowing you to brainstorm the best solution for your prospects, makes it easier for you to build connections and will help you achieve sales efficiency on the highest level.
Are you ready to get curious? TAG in! Our team of sales coaching professionals are standing by to help you achieve your census goals and grow your commission.