The secret to smashing sales targets

Accelerating your future

Buying a car is always fun. You know you’re never going to win because if you buy new, the minute you drive it off the forecourt, you lose a chunk of money straight away; if you buy second-hand, you’re never quite sure if you’ve got a bargain or a turkey…

At an event recently, I got chatting to a guy who works for a used-car dealership. He fully acknowledged the reputation his profession often has and said in some of the places he’s worked, it’s justified. He said the way managers encourage sales tactics is sometimes shocking and to then see this put into practice makes him wonder why he’s in the job, until eventually he found a reputable business to work with. He said it’s a window on the world to view the rich tapestry that makes up the human race.

David, the guy I was talking to, was very savvy about the buying process and said something which high-performing salespeople know, which is key to the results they achieve –that people think they buy with their logic reasoning, but that actually, decisions are always based on emotion.

People don't buy for logical reasons- logic is the bridge we build from where we are to where we want to be. We construct our own logic from our own perceptions, values and emotional needs and it gives the salesperson an undeniable edge if they understand that; because of the way the brain is wired, everyone, without exception, makes buying decisions for emotional reasons. It is then the job of the salesperson to use that knowledge to give the appropriate emotional information that will persuade the prospect to buy their product or service.

Specifics, facts and figures are important to someone when considering a purchase, especially one they consider to be costly, but if we bought for logical reasons, we would all be buying the same product or service to suit the same need. The right-half of the brain monitors the logical side and stays quiet until it doesn’t feel comfortable with the logic being employed and then emotional highjack takes place and emotions take over.

In these challenging economic times, it is vital for salespeople to not only demonstrate they know how to do their job in order to be successful in their role, but to also be able to demonstrate they can think about the way they think about their job. This means salespeople are then able to continuously improve their thinking skills to persuade prospects to buy more of their products and services.

It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it.

The thing is, if we hear a ‘no’ to our service / product / sale, we can tend to take it personally which is damaging.  It’s more often the concept which is being said ‘no’ to rather than the person. We were not being personally rejected but possibly our sales technique could be better - it could be that we didn't give the customer a good enough reason to buy, and we should take responsibility for that; next time ask more questions to uncover the emotional need that might just switch them on. The average British salesperson gets to two ‘no’s’ before backing out, whereas an effective salesperson gets to about seven.  They’re not pushy, it’s because they’re very good listeners and sensitive to the customers’ needs, plus they’re infectiously passionate about their product or service.

It’s important to distinguish between personal vs concept rejection. If you do ask for something, be it a discount, a date, help, etc the answer ‘no’ might not be anything to do with you personally; it could be because it’s not the right time, too many other people have asked, there isn’t enough of whatever you’re asking for, the person needs time and space to process the request, and for all manner of other reasons.

If it’s in our professional life and we are getting a no to a request, if we take ‘no’ personally, it could limit our ability to bounce back, so we need to separate the ‘no’ from our self-esteem and de-couple ourselves from the product / service. 

Understanding the difference between personal vs concept rejection, puts you in the driving seat. Adopting a mindset of expecting success means you’ll go for it but know that a ‘no’ isn’t necessarily about you. If you don’t ask, you won’t get more than you’ve got.

It’s all about the way you think

Outside of the sales world, this is all relevant; we can ethically persuade someone to do something for us when we understand what ‘makes them tick’ and can therefore play to their emotions when they make a decision. Look at an eight-year-old child who wants an ice-cream – they are natural-born persuaders and don’t give up! The parents start out insisting they’ll be no ice-cream as they’ve already had too much sugar today/it’s too near dinner/they had one yesterday… but more than likely, the child wins because gradually they break down the parents whose emotions now tell them that the child is too cute to resist/they can’t face another argument/actually they’d quite like an ice-cream too.

It doesn't matter what level of skill or experience a salesperson has in sales because what we think about isn’t nearly as important as the way we think about what we think about- this approach is what works for sales professionals at all levels who are serious about increasing results and creating sustainable change. This theory applies to all facets of our lives - being conscious about our mindset and how we communicate is vital if we want to ethically motivate others to do what we want them to do.

As Gene Simmons put it:

"If someone likes you, they'll buy what you're selling, whether or not they need it."

David is the kind of person I would buy a car from. The question is, if you work in sales, are you the kind of person people want to buy from? And if you’re a manager, are you the type of leader who people listen to and who buy in to what you’re talking about? Think about it…

Do you see yourself as a success? Do you know what success looks like for you? Most people only have a vague idea of what they want out of life and therefore, struggle to create their version of success.

The Mindset Coaching Membership can help you understand the tools and strategies needed to get your mindset in check. With Masterclass Teachings + Coaching + Accountability, we will help you to create the life you want. Find out more here.

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