A sign in the office of one of our clients read: “The best sales people don’t come to work every day trying to sell, they come in trying to help people and solve problems.”
This hit home for me. By design, I am a problem solver, and I love the art of selling my solutions to others.
A focused sales plan and, in particular, the important role of the business developer, ia a key component of Envisor’s Green Dot Operating System. Our sales development approach is based on our many years of business ownership and sales experience. Additionally, we have adopted the strategic selling philosophies developed by Robert Miller and Stephen Heiman, the founders of Miller Heiman Group.
The Miller Heiman sales process is a repeatable sales framework for managing complex businesss-to-business deals. It focuses on understanding buyer’s needs, identifying decision-makers and developing a custom, streamlined sales process.
Understanding and implementing the fundamentals of the sales process are keys to business development success and are critical to being a successful sales person. At the end of the day, though, the real key to winning the sales game is to be able to identify and solve your clients’ problems.
One of my favorite authors of sales content is Jeb Blount. In his best-selling book “People Buy You,” he writes, “Sales is pretty simple … solve your customer’s problem and they will buy your solution!”
Blount goes on to point out that in order to find out what your prospects or client’s problems are, you need to be able to connect with them. In today’s information and technology age, it has become harder and less intuitive for salespeople to connect with clients in order to identify the true problems that our prospects are facing.
In the book, Blount lays out five levers that work together to help you move others to share their true problems by tapping into motivations that are driven by human emotion.
Connect
Connecting opens the door to problem-solving. Connecting is about building an emotional bond with another person so that they feel comfortable discussing their real problems with you. You connect by giving people what they truly want — to feel appreciated, valued and important. Listening is the real secret to connecting. The more people talk, the closer they will feel to you and the more comfortable they will feel, revealing their true problems.
Solve Problems
Problems are like icebergs; we can only see the tip. In other words, there is an art to uncovering our prospect’s true problems, and of course, it starts with connection. When it comes to problem-solving, questions are king. Learning and practicing effective questioning skills are central to a successful career in sales and business. The key to uncovering and solving problems is questioning and listening intently.
Build Trust
Without trust you cannot effectively conduct business. It is the foundation on which all relationships rest. To build trusting relationships, you must provide consistent evidence that you can be trusted. It is essential that you develop the discipline to consistently manage your behavior, follow through on commitments and keep your promises.
Create Positive Emotional Experiences
It’s not hard to find opportunities to go the extra mile for your prospects or clients. Whether remembering birthdays, family member’s names or recognizing accomplishments, when you consistently create joy in the lives of your prospects, customers and peers without expecting anything in return, you build emotional bonds or anchors. Emotional experiences are most impactful when personalized to the recipient.
Successful business owners and sales professionals understand the strategic sales process and the value of activity and hard work. More importantly, they understand that if they can identify and solve a prospect’s problems, they will win their business and, in the long run, their loyalty.
For more information on Jeb Blount, click here, and to connect with us, click here.
