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Guest post by: Leanne Hoagland-Smith Become an Author

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During a recent sales training seminar, I heard a mentor of mine, Mr. Michael Sleppin, make this statement: "In their efforts to increase sales, far too many sales people try to sell newspapers to a blind person."

Michael was not being insensitive to individuals with visual challenges, but rather he was making a significant point. Those in sales especially consultative sales, fail to do thorough fact findings. This inability to discover all the needs and wants results in them trying to sell their products or services (newspapers) to prospects who have no need (blind person).

To avoid this dangerous sales habit requires each sales person to inoculate himself or herself against the 3-Ps virus. The 3Ps virus happens when the suspect or prospect who are the carriers ask questions like:

How much do you charge?
Can you send me a proposal?
What do you do?

Without the proper 3Ps vaccination, the sales person then pukes:

1.Price
2.Proposal
3. Product

without discovering the needs. The end result is that they may be selling newspapers to a blind person.

You can always tell those sales men or sales women who have received the 3Ps vaccination. Their first question might sound something like this: May I ask you a question. Then the sales person begins to build a relationship with a goal to get a face to face appointment. During this second meeting, the sales person begins to ask more leading questions to separate the wants from the needs and to learn the importance of achieving these wants and needs.

Only after a thorough discover of the needs and wants will the sales person truly understand the best solution for the client. This understanding allows the sales person to sell the correct solution and avoid what my friend Michael says of: "Selling newspapers to a blind person."

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