How many of your salespeople are like Chris Farley in one of my all-time favorite sales movies Tommy Boy?
Have you ever made a call that went like this?
"Hi Joe Customer, how are you today?"
"Fine"
"Just wanted to check in and ask about the status of the order we have been talking about, is it in purchasing yet?"
Whatever they say after that question is covering up the fact that they are thinking "why is this guy wasting my time. I told him that I would let him know when we got the money approved".
How many sales managers force their salespeople to make these types of calls because they want to know when to expect the PO and check? How many managers are helping the sales team create ongoing and increasing value for prospects and customers instead of creating a culture of self-focus and short-term thinking? Do your salespeople have content that is helpful that they can share with prospects at every stage of the buyer journey? Do they understand the buyer journey or are they just trying to push prospects through an artificial sales funnel?
There is nothing of value for the customer in any of these conversations and it is becoming more obvious every day that customers forced to converse like this are getting angry. No value, no information, nothing for them and only 'when do I get mine' will kill sales quickly and permanently.
The reason it is fatal is that there is no engagement or relationship in 'when do I get mine' and certainly no value - they will crumble you and toss you aside like Farley did to his bread roll/sale. Maybe that's why thy don't return your calls or reply to your emails.
I still hear seasoned salespeople interrupt their customers to make a point and show how smart they are. The salesperson can't help themselves, they have some knowledge that must come out at the expense of the customer and their comments. Be helpful first, tell them what they need to know, and then listen.
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Topics: Sales
