In sales, our job is to make things unequal. Potential buyers have always been looking for differentiation. But the tables of what is expected from sellers have changed. What is your current success based on? How do you make things unequal? Are you leading with your products and solutions? Are you selling or helping? Are you dealing with one or multiple stakeholders? Are you focused on your or their success? These are sales transformational challenges you have been confronted with. Some of you are picking up new selling behaviors rapidly. But others, although having the right intention, find themselves stuck to old habits. Going forward, there is time to work on the new way of selling. Keep challenging yourself. Do not give in on “It Doesn’t Work, It Is Not For Me, or I will Do It Later.” The Buyer, with their new way of buying, may not give you a second chance. It is time to hit the pause button, take a deep breath, and reflect on what goes well and what doesn’t.
Reflect on your current thinking, your approach, your sales actions, etc by answering the below questionnaire. Good luck!
For every question, you have the option of answering with Always or Sometimes. Do not answer with what you think you should do, but more what reflects your current reality. It is ok if you don’t get everything right. It is not a quiz. It is not a competition of who scores the most. Answering these questions with honesty, mirroring your current behavior, will help you move forward, transforming into a Trusted advisor.
| When preparing for the first meeting with a prospect: | Always / Sometimes | |
| 1 | I mainly focus on sales process questions to ask and possible solutions to sell. | |
| 2 | I mainly focus on gaining customer situational knowledge – as much as possible. | |
| 3 | My strategy is to find the key decision-maker and meet with him or her | |
| 4 | My strategy is to meet with stakeholders in multiple functions before meeting with a key decision-maker | |
| To gain the appointment | ||
| 5 | I ask for 20min to introduce myself and my company | |
| 6 | I share market dynamics or research information – unseen or underappreciated – that may drive the need for change, then ask for 20min to discuss these further | |
| During the meeting: | ||
| 7 | I wait patiently when I can turn the conversation into sharing a solution I think will fit the customer well | |
| 8 | I lead with my sales pitch, wait for the customer’s reaction and lead the conversation from there. | |
| 9 | My approach is non-linear and more aligned with the buyer’s process | |
| 10 | My questions are intended to discover dissatisfaction, pain points, and defined needs | |
| 11 | My questions are intended to let the customer discover something about themselves | |
| 12 | I share insightful information relevant to the customer’s business challenges | |
| 13 | I lead with our unique products and solutions | |
| 14 | I focus on the strategic value the customer would gain when changing. | |
| 15 | I use stories, relevant to the any part of the conversation | |
| 16 | I have to differentiate by offering a better price | |
| 17 | I find myself jumping to conclusions too early | |
| 18 | I share with prospects the risks I see for them when not making a change | |
| 19 | I share what worked well for other customers I have helped before | |
| Closing the meeting | ||
| 20 | I focus on how I can close the deal | |
| 21 | I ask for the customer’s commitment for a next meeting involving another stakeholder. | |
| My Mindset | ||
| 22 | I focus on improving my Sales Acumen | |
| 23 | I focus on improving my Business Acumen | |
| 24 | I focus on hitting the target closing ratio | |
| 25 | I focus on helping the customer to become more successful | |
| 26 | I find myself often selling rather than helping | |
| 27 | I find myself often helping rather than selling | |
| 28 | My customer contacts perceive me as a salesperson | |
| 29 | My customer contacts perceive me as a person with business advice |
Result: The above image with a Seller and a Buyer is an interactive photo. If you said Always to Q 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29 then slide the image (starting in the middle with your cursor) an equal amount of centimeters to the left. Then slide the image to the right for the Always or Sometimes on Q 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 13, 16, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28. Reflect on your results, How well are you Selling with the Buyer’s Perspective? What can you do better? Focus on these and discuss with your manager to get feedback.
Feel free to type in your results in the Comments field.
Thank you for your Likes. Ask and challenge your colleagues to take the questionnaire.
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