A while back, Inc. Magazine contributor Jeffery James wrote about some interesting parallels between fighter pilots’ training and successful sales operations.
We thought those comparisons were great, especially since situational awareness – one of the must have qualities of any successful military operation — is a hot concept in sales training these days. Consider these three topics, based on that article, as key building blocks for success in your sales engagements. Continue reading →
Sometimes it seems that every year is another bidding war, agents shopping the markets to keep their accounts in the corral. But what if you could change that pattern — at least some of the time?
Winning the classic skirmish of value over price means focusing on what’s important to the buyer, and showing them that that’s worth more than price considerations. Continue reading →
As sales professionals, we want to answer questions with assurance and convey our knowledge and expertise, but there’s a problem.
When we offer familiar answers based on preconceived ideas, we miss the opportunity to learn more about the questioner and her situation. Even worse, we can take the conversation in a completely wrong direction. Continue reading →
The rapport-building tactic of mirroring & matching can sometimes produce stunning effects. As we subtly reflect back someone’s gestures and phrasing, they can experience a sense of comfort and relaxation, and a feeling of rapport develops.
The effect is based on the understanding that humans feel more comfortable with others who are similar to them, a social principle from prehistoric times, when predators and competitors, both human and animal, put us in perpetual jeopardy. 100,000 years ago on the African savannah, being part of a tribe meant safety and security, and lacking that communal support put you in a very dangerous position. Continue reading →