Nothing happens until somebody sells something. To make sales happen, IMMS.com Key Sales Consultant Randy Schwantz has created a comprehensive series of 43 Producer Success Lessons. Used singly or in combination, these powerful tools can help your producers build their skills and grow their sales.
Executive: Your rates are really high!
Salesperson: Which means?
Executive: Which means I expect great service.
Salesperson: I can see we need to discuss service in depth — is that a fair statement?
Executive: It sure is.
Salesperson: Great — you start.
In this exchange, the executive put a lot of pressure on the salesperson. Rather than get defensive when the executive said the rates were high, the salesperson turned the pressure back to the executive by asking a question. This strategy is called a reverse. Responding to questions and objections with questions does two things: It keeps you from answering unasked questions, and it keeps the prospect or client talking. Remember, telling isn’t selling. You have to listen much more than you talk.
Notice how the salesperson was able to get the executive to explain what they meant by 'good service' — they used another reverse. This follows one of the basic rules of communication: seek first to understand, then to be understood. Let the other person tell you what they think first.
REVERSING
The idea behind always asking clarifying questions before answering a question has been discussed before. This lesson will present some specific ideas that clarify meaning and redirect the pressure of the interview to the client or prospect. That’s important for you to function well. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to mentally stay ahead of the prospect if you’re under a lot of pressure. So give that pressure right back to the prospect.
It’s usually best to soften reverses with an opening such as 'Good question,' 'That’s a good point,' or 'I’m glad you brought that up' so your questions/reverses won’t sound offensive. In fact, when a prospect or client is emotionally involved in the process, they usually will never see the reverse.
A reverse helps you to stay out of a box. You get into a box when you try to answer questions without really knowing the prospect’s concerns. Here’s an example:
Risk Manager: Who all have you done this service for?
Salesperson: We’re working with senior executives at Huge Corp., Big Co., and Mega Worldwide.
Risk Manager: I don’t want them to know any of our personal information. I think we’d do well to stay away from that. Thanks for calling.
A different approach might have kept you out of that box. You have no idea why your prospect is asking you who else do you work with, so find out this way:
Risk Manager: Who do you work with?
Salesperson: Good question. Why do you ask?
Risk Manager: I don’t want any of our personal information to be available to any competitors.
Salesperson: Oh, I see. We have the strictest policy on nondisclosure in the business.
In this example, the salesperson found out why the Risk Manager was concerned about other clients. That went a long way to quelling the Risk Manager’s fears. Another reverse could have refocused the subject of the interview:
Risk Manager: Who do you work with?
Salesperson: Good question. When you ask who we work with, how do you mean? (Note: Does the salesperson know what the Risk Manager is really asking — are they referring to insurance companies or other executives at other companies?)
Risk Manager: What I was wondering is, do you represent Chubb?
REHEARSAL
Rehearsing has been discussed before. A rehearsal involves taking the client or prospect through the decision-making process mentally and helping them to work through any obstacles that might arise.
Rehearsals work with clients who are already committed to buying and may need to sell your idea to someone else. Rehearsals also helps you to discover the depth of your prospect’s commitment to the purchase.
Salesperson: I don’t suppose you could call the Risk Manager at Acme Manufacturing and introduce me this week, could you?
Commercial Producer: Sure, I’ll give them a call.
Salesperson: Suppose you’re telling them about me and our program for executives, and they say, 'I appreciate your call, but I don’t want to get involved with personal insurance for the senior executives.' How are you going to deal with that?
Commercial Producer: I’d have to explain the Ten-Step Program you discussed with me.
Salesperson: OK, and what if they say they tried something like this before and got burned — what would you say then?
Commercial Producer: I’d tell him about the way your agency can help the executives get better coverage and that it will make their job easier in the long run.
Salesperson: Anything else?
Commercial Producer: No, that’s about all this person needs to know.
The rehearsal used by the salesperson took the Commercial Producer through the introduction. It covered the Risk Manager’s most likely concerns and helped the Commercial Producer form answers in advance. The salesperson would maximize their efforts if they asked the Commercial Producer to make the call right now, while in the best possible frame of mind.
Rehearsal is a powerful way to move a prospect through the sales process and relieve a lot of the expected pressure from the sale. Just like reverses, rehearsals are easy to master and easy to use.
COLUMBO
Have you ever seen the detective program 'Columbo' on television? Columbo is the seemingly bumbling, disheveled detective who asks lots of seemingly irrelevant questions and solves all the tough cases. He does it by disarming the criminals. How? He’s nonthreatening. The criminals, not feeling defensive, let all kinds of clues slip out.
You, too, can be a Columbo. You don’t have to wear an old raincoat or smoke cigars; you just have be willing to ask questions to which you already know the answers.
One sales trainer calls this the 'dummy curve.' When some salespeople start out, they make a few sales because they have to ask many questions. Then they get smart and professional, and they can’t wait to tell everyone about all their knowledge. They become amateurs, and sales stop happening. Eventually, some of them figure out that real 'professionals' know the answers, but don’t act as if they do. They become listeners, and sales pick up again. Here’s an example:
Salesperson: I’m confused. You don’t want to extend your coverage?
Executive: No, I just don’t want to pay for extended coverage. I want a good deal.
Salesperson: So what do you want me to do?
Executive: Get me a good deal.
Salesperson: I’d like to, but I’m a little confused. I’m not sure what a good deal would look like to you. Would you mind explaining it to me?
Playing Columbo is fun if you do it well. And it’s totally disarming. Clients will tell you anything, because you’re not threatening. Think about it. Is a slick car salesperson with tons of product knowledge threatening? What about the little kid who comes to the door selling cookies — doesn’t know anything about the cookies, just knows they taste good? Who’s more likely to make a sale?
Try these 'Columbo phrases':
- Help me.
- I’m not sure I understand.
- So what you want from me is. ...
- Which means. ...
- By that you mean. ...
EXERCISES
- On every sales interview you have today, write the one question that seemed to trap you. Now, create a reverse for that question. Example:
Executive: Can you get me a quote on $250, $500, and $1,000 deductibles?
Salesperson: That sounds like an interesting idea. What were you hoping to accomplish with all that pricing information? (Note: You could just say yes and work your fingers to the bone without knowing why you were asked for this.)
- Memorize the Columbo phrases. Use them.