Ever had an "a-ha" moment in selling? My first a-ha moment was 15 years ago after I developed a sales training program for the hospitality industry called "How to Make Incredible Tips." I presented the program to the manager of a restaurant, and though I made almost every selling mistake possible, she expressed strong interest in the program. I didn't know what to do next, so I asked, "Should we schedule a day for this?" We set a day, and I floated out the store. The a-ha moment was recognizing buying signals and summoning up the courage to ask for the business.
Since that time, I have had many other a-ha moments in sales. Here are a few that immediately come to mind.
- You don't have to talk as much as you think.
- It's OK to pause before you respond to a question or request.
- Silence is a powerful sales weapon when used at the appropriate time.
- The person asking the questions controls the sales conversation.
- The sooner price is discussed, the more of a focal point it becomes.
- If you keep your pipeline full at all times, you seldom have to worry about reaching your targets and quotas.
- Selling is not telling: the title of one of the first sales books I read and a concept that is still relevant.
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