So You're New to Sales. Bryan Flanagan

a minute. You said you weren’t good at prospecting. But based on what you just said, and based on your evidence, you are good at prospecting. Why did you rate yourself so low?”

      Troy: “Oh, I hate prospecting!”

      I did not ask Troy if he liked prospecting. I asked Troy if he was any good at it. According to his evidence he was very good at it! He invested an hour and set three appointments. But he wasn’t really prospecting because he didn’t like it.

      Can you identify with that situation? You may be uncomfortable with a sales activity so you don’t engage in the activity. Because you don’t like it, you aren’t doing it. But you may be good at it! This young man, Troy, was good at prospecting. He provided the evidence that proved he was good at it. However, he was holding himself back because he didn’t like it! As my daughter says, “Cry me a river. Build a bridge. Get over it!" You may have to get over some of the things that stand in the way of your sales success.

      You don't have to like everything about prospecting (or selling) to be outrageously successful. You don't have to like it, but you do have to do it!

      I suggest you choose six or seven selling skills and rate your proficiency for each on a separate Growth Chart. For those skills rated Consciously Incompetent, you have identified training areas on which you should focus. Remember to seek training from someone who can instruct from the Consciously Competent stage.

Selling Value Exercise

      Below there are two boxes. Think of all the products or services you sell and then list three (3) things you offer in the first box. Go ahead and do so at this time. I will slow down and let you write those three things. Go on...once you have completed "what you sell," list three things your prospects want in the second box.

      In my sales seminars, I usually walk around the room and observe the answers. This is what I often view:

      I am not sure what you wrote in the two boxes. However, here’s the question: Do your lists match? I bet they don’t! The key to successful selling is that your lists must match!!! Oftentimes, the lists don’t match.

      In the sales seminars, I sometimes receive a list that looks like this:

      As you can see, these two lists don’t match either. If that is the case, the salesperson is going to face a challenge that is not easily overcome.

      The left box – “what you sell” – is the salesperson’s comfort zone. The right box is the prospect’s buying zone. To be successful you must be in the same box as the prospect.

      Most salespeople have a great deal of confidence in the left side. Those items listed are what most training programs drill into the salesperson. The left side is the known. That is, you know and understand what you sell and the features of what you sell. The right side is the unknown. That is, this is the side that contains the prospect’s issues and concerns. In other words, you can learn about your company and its products from your new-employee orientation. You know those things. However, to understand the prospect’s side you must communicate with him or her. You must use your questioning skills to uncover what the prospect wants. If your list of what you sell doesn’t match the list of what the prospect wants you will not be able to provide what she needs. No sale will take place.

      If you are selling insurance and the prospect wants peace of mind, you will miss the sale. The list of what you sell and the list of what the prospect wants must match! In this case, you must interpret how your prospect receives peace of mind by purchasing your insurance.

      It’s an easy mistake to make. In fact, I made that same mistake. When I began working for Zig Ziglar, I was living my dream. I read Zig’s best-selling book See You at the Top and it literally changed my life. Now I found myself working for my hero! After three months with the company, Zig called me one morning and asked if I’d like to have lunch with him. I said, “Of course.”