Presto - Conversational Selling Skills
To The Rescue

Conversational selling skills are in and convincing along with sales persuasion is out.

Here's why!

I remember many years ago, while attending my first ever National Sales Meeting, the vice president of sales gave us his definition of "Selling." I'll never forget what he said. "Selling is convincing someone to do something that they don't want to do and then making them glad that they did it."

And for the next 15 years that's exactly what I did. I did achieve a degree of success but never a degree of comfort. Sure it's easy to turn up the burners. Get into your convincing mode, but you know there is a better way and I'm glad I found it.

Most people don't live lives of quiet desperation - in fact most people are desperate for some peace and quiet. You can see more of the details in an article I wrote on cell phone etiquette here. People are surrounded by noise and no where is it louder from hard charging, fast talking, in-your-face salespeople.

Those were the days. This approach may have worked years ago, but today's sophisticated sales prospects and customers are demanding so much more.

Sales prospects and customers don't want salespeople who are talkers. They prefer listeners.

Sales prospects and customers don't want salespeople who are selling products. They prefer to hear about solutions.

Sales prospects and customers don't want salespeople who are focused on convincing. They prefer salespeople who are understanding.

Sales prospects and customers don't want salespeople who are lusting for all the business. They prefer salespeople who are willing to earn it over a period of time.

When salespeople are in the convincing and persuading mode their mouth becomes the center of their universe.

On the other hand when salespeople turn on their conversation selling skills they naturally become more focused on listening. This requires that you engage your ears before you employ your mouth!

When you embrace your conversational selling skills your selling process takes a turn for the better.

You'll ask more questions.

You'll do more listing.

You'll gain more knowledge about your sales prospect and customer.

You'll discover their problems.

And if you're really good you'll be able to quantify the size of the problem. (In dollars)

You'll be able to position your product / service as a solution for your customers.

And if you're really good you'll be able to quantify the value of your solution - which makes the buying decision easier..

Remember your conversational selling skills allow you to shift your focus from your products to your solutions.

Your sales prospects and customers want to be heard - so give them a chance to talk. Throughout this process take good notes. Keep asking questions because they show that you're interested.

If I could talk to that vice president of sales who had the whacky definition of selling - I'd tell him what the new definition of selling is.

Selling is asking questions, listening, taking notes, providing solutions, partnering with customers, and building long-term relationships.

All it takes are conversational selling skills.

And it all begins by asking good questions.

You can learn everything you need to know about asking questions right here.

You might also want to listen to my most popular CD titled, "How To Avoid Sounding Pathetic During A Sales Call."

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