1. Chad Baugh says:

    This is such a difficult thing to teach to new sales people who are always in a hurry to follow the process and follow up. They don’t understand what it means when a client says, yes, ROI is important and it’s the first hurdle, but it’s not the only thing that matters…. It confuses the new sales person. I’d love to hear more about how you teach this… the only thing I have found is continuing to ask questions until it “sinks in”. Amazingly, once it sinks in, they can’t unsee it. This knowledge/ability is a paradigm shift and it’s what makes the great sales people and leaders so great.

    • Sara Sweat says:

      You’re right, Chad. This isn’t immediately obvious, is it? When we rely too much on our own ROI, we can inflate the confidence of our deals and miss the opportunity to expand them. When helping Sales Professionals unlock impact, one simple tool to start with is based on a Lean method called “the 5 Why’s”.

      Usually, we ask a prospect “why” once or twice. But, regardless of the answer we get – we’re just scratching the surface.

      For example:
      If I say I need a new car & you ask why once – maybe I’ll say it’s because I no longer like my old one. So, you ask me about what I dislike, find out all the features I’d like in a car, my budget for a car, and all the other relevant details you’d need to know to recommend the best car for me. If I don’t buy – you’re left confused with a lot of wasted time on your ledger.

      But, the conversation could also go like this:
      I need a new car.
      Why?
      Because I no longer like my old one.
      Why?
      Because it’s got a lot of miles.
      Why?
      Because I’ve been driving to visit my friends 5 hours away every weekend.
      Why?
      Because there’s nothing fun to do in my town.
      Why?
      Because I live in Edwardsville.

      Your prospect probably isn’t going to buy a car – because your prospect doesn’t actually need one. They might need a new job that allows them to move to a cooler city, or to meet new friends where they already live. But, a new car isn’t going to fix any of that. The sooner you know – the easier it is to connect them with something that creates real value.

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