“The next time you speak to a prospect of a buyer, focus on being the teacher, not the feature.” – Meshell Baker in today’s Tip 1150
Are you the feature or the teacher?
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Transcript
Scott Ingram: You’re listening to the Daily Sales Tips podcast and I’m your host, Scott Ingram. Today’s tip comes from our regular sales tip teacher, Meshell Baker. Here she is:
Meshell Baker: Hello and welcome to Today’s Daily Sales Tip. And I’ll ask you a question. When you speak, are you the feature or the teacher? And I’ll say it again, are you the feature or the teacher?
So often so many salespeople want to feature what they have to offer. They want to feature their knowledge. They want to feature their excellence, their ability to be a thought leader, to be smart, to be well versed in their products, to just really talk at the buyer about what it is you have to offer in the hopes of getting a sale. Which is interesting because what most buyers are looking for is that you would speak to them in a manner that teaches them more about your product and how your product solves their problem. They are currently experiencing a gap in what they have and what they want in your product is the thing that helps them cross the precipice of that gap.
So I ask you, when you speak, are you the teacher or the teacher? And if you want to be the teacher, you will begin speaking in a manner that,
S – Shares the successes of your prior clients. Instead of talking about the bells and whistles and all the things, speak to them in a manner that really talks about how a client similar to them experience success and this is what you guys decided, what the challenge. This is what you work on together to create the solution. And this is how they’re doing now, having experienced the excellence of your product.
P – Purposefully passionate. Are you speaking passion? Are you enthusiastic about the opportunity to help them solve for whatever it is they need not to solve for your desire to sell a product which is very different because it requires that you ask them questions more about them. What they’ve already tried, who they’ve already tried, what doesn’t work, what in their wildest dreams they would help to be able to accomplish by working with you?
E – Extraordinary efforts. Sometimes and let’s be honest, many times the successful salesperson is willing to go the extra mile, to take extra time in doing research, to look for solutions that might not even be of your company because the goal is to serve that client. You never know where your next big sale or big deal is going to come from. And sometimes it’s simply because you help someone did make a sale and they referred you. Start to think extraordinary efforts for whoever is in front of you, you’re having a conversation with because you’re leaving them with the experience that you are a solution. And any time they come across someone else with a similar problem, they will refer you.
A – Appreciate the adventure of the discovery. Have fun with it. Don’t be scared that they are going to ask you something you don’t know. Be willing to tell them when you don’t know something and let them know you’ll follow up. How soon do you need me to get back to you with that? Stay in the realm of teaching them that you are 100% on their side and you are truly about helping them to solve whatever it is you’re solving for.
And finally, the K is kind-hearted knowing. It is a compassionate way of when you know more than them, you’re okay not having to express it in a way that you are trying to be the feature of the conversation. Your goal is to deliver your knowledge in a way that helps them to feel empowered, inspired, and hopeful about the results that you will be delivering and co-creating together.
So remember when you speak, the next time you speak to a prospect of a buyer, focus on being the teacher, not the feature. Have a great day selling!
Scott Ingram: For links to connect with Meshell, just click over to DailySales.Tips/1150 and we’ll have those as well as the transcript for this tip. Once you’ve done that. Be sure to come back tomorrow for another great sales tip from David Weiss. Thanks for listening!