tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161786447198272980.post4944111424667146755..comments2023-03-05T04:59:04.078-08:00Comments on Great Sellers Go To Heaven: Provocateur or bust! Be one or be one.Bob Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296430532058129968noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161786447198272980.post-53889401824235341142009-10-14T09:08:36.961-07:002009-10-14T09:08:36.961-07:00Bruce,
You are quite right not to whip out your p...Bruce,<br /><br />You are quite right not to whip out your ppt features/benefits presentation on your first visit to Mr. Prospect. That would not be very different than announcing after the handshake, “Great to meet you. Let’s spend the next hour talking all about me.”<br /><br />But, coming into the fist meeting with a recitation of what Mr. Prospect is doing wrong and what changes you recommend to fix it is even more egregious. “Let’s see, you googled me and my company, visited my web site, got an understanding of what it is I offer, and are now prepared to tell me how to get on track. Listen; have a wonderful day, OK? Clemenza will show you to the door.” <br /><br />But before we talk about the meeting, let’s get it.<br /><br />"Mr. Prospect, I’m Hermann Timmer from the Blah Blah Blah Company. I’ve become interested in your company and believe that I can help you. May we schedule an hour together?" OBJECTION-OBJECTION-OBJECTION.<br /><br />"Mr. Prospect, while I’m asking you for an hour, I’ll take all the risk. The second you find your time with me misspent, let me know, and I am out the door. Your risk is limited to the time it takes to shake hands. I do think I can help you. OK?"<br /><br />Now will they all say “yes?” No. But I promise that if you spend Friday making the calls, you’ll be late for dinner every night next week.<br /><br />Once there, your job is to show him through your line of questioning that neither he nor you know just yet how to better align his progress with his dreams. But struggling together you’ll find the answer(s). And that’s your commitment. <br /><br />And that’s what a great salesman/consultant does…and how he behaves.<br /><br />Prov o cateur (sorry, Bruce). To provoke, create discord…upset the apple cart…all in the name of growth and profit.Bob Shermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12296430532058129968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161786447198272980.post-70561873288279572682009-10-13T18:08:56.223-07:002009-10-13T18:08:56.223-07:00So, Bob if I hear you correctly, walking in the do...So, Bob if I hear you correctly, walking in the door with a POwerpoint loaded full of my (or my products) capabilities isn't going to get me much. I tend to agree. <br /><br />My tendency is to walk in and show the prospective customer or client what needs help and what needs to be changed and some ideas for making that happen. I do that at the risk of "provocatating" a negative reaction from those who might see the approach as criticism rather than help. <br /><br />Sometimes the approach works, sometimes it just pisses people off. My question is if I don't get the meeting by promising nothing but "consultation", how do I approach getting the meeting in the first place, without which I don't even have the opportunity to be a provacateur?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161786447198272980.post-13474996878511405502009-10-13T07:58:58.345-07:002009-10-13T07:58:58.345-07:00One thing that is too often overlooked is that it ...One thing that is too often overlooked is that it is ESSENTIAL to do some homework -- in the BtoB world of trade magazine publishing ad sales we called this "Tradework" -- so you can at least look smart, prepared, and respectful enough of the person and their business that you took the time to do it. It means that before you meet you learn as much as possible about the client's presence in the market. The competitors, the brands, the perceptions of its customers. Even if you are sharing information they already know (which is in fact likely), they'll love that you did it. When I was starting out, before calling on a consumer brand to sell trade advertising in Chain Store Age, I used to take pictures of the company's products on store shelves. Like showing pictures of their own kids, they were in rapt attention and I earned instant credibility. I had permission to be a provocateur!Lon Otrembahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12296005041621320743noreply@blogger.com