August Productivity Newsletter 2019
Sales Tip: Sandler Rule #17
The Professional Does What He Did As A Dummy – On Purpose
Hah! Thanks Sandler 😂 This rule encourages us sales professionals to ask the “dummy question” and then WAIT. LISTEN. Let the Prospect respond.
When you’re met with a concern or objection, ask the prospect, Is it over? Allow them to talk and discuss what is keeping them from proceeding.
FORGET YOUR PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE! It’s not about you. IT’S ABOUT THEM. Develop your “dummy questions” today!
Need help getting started? Here are some “dummy questions” that you might be able to use or easily adapt:
- So what is it exactly that you do here?
- What do you want me to know about you?
- What would mean the most to you from our business relationship?
- You know, that’s a great question. I’m not sure. Let me ask my team and get back to you.
- If we did business together, how might that help you? How might that hurt you?
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Sales Tip: Sandler Rule #18
Don’t Paint “Seagulls” In Your Prospect’s Picture
Look at the beautiful painting above. How many seagulls do you count? If you really look, you might notice how the foremost seagull adds depth and dimension to the painting. But do you know, it was never supposed to be there? The original painter loved the scene of the lighthouse at sunset. That was all he saw, and to him, it was magnificent. However his art teacher didn’t see it that way. She insisted he add a few seagulls for dimension and balance. While approved of for a final project, the painter now despises the piece because it’s not what he envisioned.
For Sandler, a seagull is any aspect of your service or product not yet expressed as a need or concern by the prospect. Less is more. Your prospect paints the picture of what they need and want. Don’t go painting seagulls in their artwork. Let them do that. This keeps you safe and prevents your “great idea” from killing the sale, or worse, turning into buyer’s remorse.
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Culture Tip: Carnegie Principle #9
Make The Other Person Feel Important—And Do It Sincerely
Okay, I seriously cannot emphasize this principle enough. It is THE KEY to leading your team. Above all, we humans crave – CRAVE – the feeling of importance. If you can sincerely speak to this need in another human being, you will have their attention, their affection, and their actions.
So let’s get practical. How can you give each and every one of your team members a genuine feeling of importance? Not collectively, but individually. This is hard work. It will take effort on your part to figure out what means the most to each person on your team. There are no shortcuts to leadership.
As the image for this tip conveys, imagine this sign being worn by every team member. Let that be the cue you use to provide them the feeling of importance.
Is it, listening earnestly without interrupting? Gerry, how are you today, really?
Is it, a warm smile and enthusiastic greeting with their name? Gerry, it’s great to see you today!
Is it, a firm handshake with a specific thank you? Gerry, thank you for staying late last night to clean out the trucks and rearrange the tools so we could start fresh and quickly this morning.
What do each of those ideas have in common?
- They are all 1 to1
- They are all personal
- They all take less than 3Â minutes to do
No excuses! You can do this. If you’re new to this, do this for each person at least once a week and watch what happens to your team as a result. Then aim to do it once a day for every person. You won’t believe the radical difference in morale when you do.
Resources
The Sandler Rules, David Mattson
How To Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie