Matt White

In sales, we’re taught to always be asking questions… more questions, less talking. The more you can get your prospect to talk, the better the sales call goes. If you’re the one doing all the talking, then you’re heading for failure from the beginning. Asking the right questions and listening to your prospect are key.

Think about the last time you felt pressure from a salesperson. It could have been when you were shopping for a mattress a month ago or the last time you bought a car. Or maybe it was that random cold call you received from a telemarketer in the middle of the day last week at work. How did it make you feel?

It’s natural to want to avoid adversity. Life would be easier, right, if we just didn’t have so many problems/challenges/issues? But, avoiding all adversity would actually impede your ability to grow, to learn, to live!

When it comes to the best of the best, it’s easy to land on the Navy SEALs. Not only are there very few people who are selected to even be considered, but of those, only one in four successfully complete the training program each year. It’s grueling work, often pushing young men and women to the brink of exertion, even close to death.

The reason your competitors are outselling you with an inferior product is because they have shown a perception of VALUE to the prospect. Sure, price almost always comes into play; but rarely is it the only determining factor in a buying decision.

Not sure if you’re a Walking Dead fan? If not, here’s the quick summary: Zombies have taken over the world and the living are forced to survive by whatever means possible.

In a scene from an episode I watched recently, (I’m a season behind, so no spoilers here) one of the primary characters, Maggie, enters a room to “negotiate” a potential trade deal between two surviving communities – this one has food and Maggie’s has weapons.

Sales The traditional salesperson says, “I have something to sell you.”

The successful salesperson says, “How can I help you?”

The traditional salesperson says, “You have to buy TODAY to get this price.”

The successful salesperson says, “Today might not be the best time to buy.”

The traditional salesperson says, “My product is perfect for you.”

The successful salesperson says, “Maybe we’re not the right fit for you. Can I ask a few questions to find out?”

Remember the days of the school fundraiser? My youngest son, Ian, is in the middle of one right now – selling pastries and such. He headed out last weekend to hit to streets in the neighborhood with his four-color brochure, purchase form, and pen, ready to conquer the world!

“Dear Mom, I wanted to thank you for all the great sales lessons you taught me growing up. You may not have known, but you were priming me for a career in sales since the very beginning.”

Here are seven sales lessons I learned from my mother – and I’m pretty sure she didn’t even realize it:

You’ve got 30 seconds to write down as many words/phrases as possible that come to mind when I say the word: SALESPERSON Go! So, what did you come up with? Did your list look something like this?