Business Success - Ask, don't tell: Why it's easier to tell than sell

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Ask, don't tell: Why it's easier to tell than sell

Chris Lytle, CSP, Author of The Accidental Salesperson

It is much easier to tell than sell. It is much easier to teach than to coach. Selling and coaching require more listening, and listening takes time. And yet, one of life's great lessons is that people rarely resist their own conclusions. If we want to influence thinking, we need to take the time to draw out the person whose thinking we're trying to influence and whose behavior we're trying to change.

In this conversation between an SM and a consultant, you'll discover vicariously the power of not telling people all of the answers, even if you're right.

"I require my salespeople to make ten new business calls a week," said the sales manager.

"Hmmm, that's an interesting standard," said the consultant. "How is it working?"

"We have a tremendous amount of new business activity," allowed the SM.

Said the consultant, "With your 17 people, you're getting 170 new business calls each week. How are new business sales?"

"A little slow."

"If I'm one of your salespeople and I make my ten new business calls this week, what happens if I have three or four good prospects in that group?" asked the consultant.

"You would follow them up, of course."

"So, I would follow up those four and make six other new business calls?" reasoned the consultant.

"You'd make ten new business calls plus the four follow-up calls. Because you've already seen the four, they are no longer new," the SM reasoned back.

"So if it takes three or four calls to close a new piece of business, only the first call counts as a new business call in your system."

"Now you've got it."

"So theoretically, in the fourth week of the cycle I could be following up 16 or 20 prospects in various stages of the process in addition to making my ten new business calls,"

"It takes you a while, but you do catch on," said the SM . "When you were selling, did you ever make ten new business calls in a week plus follow up 16 hot prospects?" asked the consultant.

"Well, no, but that's different. I had a better closing ratio than my team did."

"Perhaps that was because you prioritized and persisted professionally with fewer prospects," suggested the consultant.

"Are you suggesting that I change my standard? That I not require ten new business calls a week?"

"That's an option you have. What if you keep the standard and change the definition of a new business call?"

"You mean count follow-up calls to advance the sales process as new business calls?"

"It depends. Do you want new business dollars or new business activity?" asked the consultant.

"I think I'll take your advice," sighed the SM.

"I didn't give you any. I just asked you some questions, and you came to your own conclusion."

"I wonder if this approach would work in sales. Could we train salespeople to draw out prospects about their needs, instead of telling them about our cluster?" mused the SM.

"As I recall, they used to call that the 'consultant sell' or something. Of course, at today's pace of business, it's hard to get people to sit down for such a thing," said the consultant, taking a contrary position.

"Hold on just a minute. Maybe it's not our clients. Maybe we have to slow down ourselves and ask the questions."

"Hmmm. You may be right. What would be the consequences of taking more time up front to ask questions?" asked the consultant.

"I think it might make the process a bit more fun, and it would cut down on all of the media kits and rankers we send out. I think I'll bring it up in the next meeting."

"Why not let the salespeople discover it for themselves?"

"You mean ask instead of telling a sales meeting too?"

"You said it, not me."

"Thanks. Here's your giant check," said the SM.

This news arrived on: 01/30/2008

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