This article originally appeared in the November 2024 issue of Security Business magazine. Don’t forget to mention Security Business magazine on LinkedIn and @SecBusinessMag on Twitter if you share it.
The core of our sales consulting business is the fact that the buying process of business-to-business sales has changed drastically in the past 15-20 years. To teach new methods that work and gain buy-in from our clients, we have identified dozens of old methods that no longer work, along with why you should change.
That said, creating these new models and approaches has also led to the identification of certain fundamentals still relevant to sales success. Here’s a look at six of them:
1. Persistence is the key to excellence.
The willingness to move through incessant rejection has always been and continues to be the key to sales excellence; however, while it was once purely a numbers game, today’s salespeople must be creative. Today, it is not just persistence, but smart persistence that will lead to greatness.
2. Relationships matter.
Yes, information is free and easily accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Yes, most sales are 70% completed before a salesperson gets engaged. And yes, most influencers and decision-makers today (especially younger people) do not want to interact with salespeople. Yes, all those things are true, but personal relationships still matter.
The difference is that in today’s environment, salespeople must be competent and provide value for their clients. Personal relationships will enable good salespeople to become great, but competence is a prerequisite. Without competence, there might not be an opportunity to build a relationship.
3. Probing questions can change the course of the buying cycle.
In the past, asking the right probing questions enabled salespeople to understand their clients’ needs and situations. Today, probing questions shouldn’t just provide answers, they should spark dialogue. Clients expect salespeople to do their homework before sales calls. Today’s great salespeople teach customers about trends and what’s happening in the industry; then they ask questions to understand the specifics about a client’s sites. Teaching clients earns them credibility and they receive more than just an answer to a question, but an open and transparent discussion.
4. You must ask for the order.
Successful salespeople today ask for the order, but they do so in a less direct way than in the past. Until 20 years ago, salespeople usually had the luxury of sitting in front of one decision-maker, so asking a direct question sparked a conversation that would hopefully lead to a closed sale. Not today. Since the decision is rarely made by one person, salespeople need their internal contact to sell for them to the committee. Turning them off by asking uncomfortable questions will deter the desired behavior.
For example, instead of asking: “Would you like to move forward with the order,” today’s successful salesperson might ask something like: “When do you think you’ll be making a decision?” The discussion that follows will allow opportunities to gauge more information in a less confrontational way, but you still need to ask for the order.
