2021 heralds a new beginning for Sales. There’s a new level of respect for salespeople who know what to say and when, to help your customer feel comfortable moving ahead with the sale.
Good selling is not manipulation. Salespeople with good communication skills, a healthy dose of empathy and the courage to ask are a vital part of the global economic recovery. Buyers need enough trust to proceed, and they also need personalised solutions to their specific needs. This is where your sales function really comes into its own.
At the heart of it, selling is all about helping. Remembering last month’s Magnify Sales Book Club for February, it’s time to ‘Flip the Script’ and understand that if you’re paid to sell, you’re paid to help clients reach a decision.
Of course, it’s ideal for the clients you speak with to reach their decision and choose your company. You will exponentially increase the chances of a decision for your company by laser-focused targeting. This means concentrating on speaking with your ideal clients, who are mostly likely to love your products/services, along with an acknowledged need for the solutions you offer, and the available budget to buy from you.
THE GREAT SALES LINE IN ‘FLIP THE SCRIPT’
So, now that we’ve dealt with any reservations you may have about using sales techniques that actually, let’s focus on an incredible sentence that comes almost exactly half-way through Oren Klaff’s famous sales book ‘Flip the Script’.
Like much of Klaff’s approach to sales, and his writing, this sentence appears to be completely casual. So casual in fact, that you almost miss it. It’s a small, simple sentence that’s already turned around some sales situations here in New Zealand.
How do you see us working together on this?
LET’S UNPACK WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THIS SENTENCE
One – Timing
The timing of this sentence adds to its power. You wouldn’t say this sentence at the beginning of a conversation, it needs to come after some honest conversation and sharing. When you’ve come to the natural conclusion of your discussion or presentation, the client has asked their questions, you’ve answered and checked for any further feedback (and there is none) – that’s when you deploy this sentence.
Two – Tone
Casual. Monotone. Confident without being obnoxious or arrogant. Just comfortable that you’ve unpacked a solution that meets your client needs, and that they should absolutely want to work with.
Three – The word ‘How’
The word ‘how’ invites speculation, along with an explanation. You can’t answer a straight ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to any question beginning with ‘How’. Which is exactly how you’ll keep the conversation going and discover what your customer really thinks.
Four – The word ‘Do’
A positive, definite prelude to this new client relationship. Assumes that we will be working together. After all, who wouldn’t want to work with someone that genuinely cares what you think?
Five – The pronoun ‘You’
This is Sales-101 – use of the word ‘You’. This very deliberate word gets You – the customer – thinking about yourself, inviting you to put yourself into the situation and explore how it could work for you. Also inviting You – the customer – to tell the salesperson exactly what you want to do, and how you’d like the work/next steps to look.
Six – The verb ‘See’
The classic invitation to think about how this could look. Prefaced by ‘do you’, there’s a casual assumption that all barriers have been removed, which invites the customer to lay aside all concerns and imagine how great this could be. This is blue-sky thinking at its best.
Seven – The phrase ‘Us Working Together’
Letting the customer imagine what form your new working relationship will take. Planting the thought that we will work together as a team. If you’ve already done a good establishing trust and expertise, this phrasing will create a very positive image in the customer’s mind.
Eight – That final question ‘On This?’
These last two words really focus the customer, prompting them to reach a decision about the next steps you will take together.
OVERALL VERDICT
This is one of the best phrases you can use at critical junctures in the sales process. In nine simple words, the customer gets the opportunity to focus on what next steps they want to take so that you can work together on this project.
Ask respectfully, ask confidently. Most important of all – just ask. Then wait for your customer to tell you how they’d like your work together to look.
Then it’s simply a matter of demonstrating how you and your business can deliver on their very specific request.
Go forth and sell!
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