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Sales Training London A Geek Tragedy Is This You in the Sale

Written by: Marcus Cauchi

Article Overview: Never sell using product knowledge. Never sell using features and benefits. Using your product knowledge in the sale will get you killed. Controversial I know, but features and benefits using to sell will cost you dear in sales revenues and personal commission. Ever wondered why you get "I need to think it over" or "Send me a proposal" and then you can't ever get hold of the prospect again? This article shows you what you're doing to abdicate control to your prospect and give away any power you had in the sale. It makes depressing reading so be prepared to go for a stiff drink afterwards to recover from the horror of how much money you're leaving behind. I left £56 million and £16.8 million in commission because I didn't know any better. I'm taking away your excuse to lose money so you might not want to read it.

Sales Training London A Geek Tragedy Is This You in the Sale

If you sell the technical stuff of what you do this parable will make you cry.

Wally Webdesigner got a rare call. "We've seen your web site, we like what we've seen and want you to propose for our new website" said Lionel Lyre, a scarce prospective customer. Times were tough and this couldn't have come at a better time. Wally was desperate, the bank balance thin. "Great" he said, "When shall I come over to take the brief?" They agreed that Wally would visit next Wednesday, and they had an hour, Lionel held the budget and said he was "looking forward to meeting you"

The big day arrived, Wally had done his research on the company, reviewed their old website and saw a number of areas that he could help. On arrival, Lionel said "Hi Wally, I'm sorry but something has come up. I know we were going to meet for an hour, but we've only got 30 minutes now." Wally says "No problem, let's get down to business". Wally agrees. Lionel is very friendly and says "Show me what you've got" and Wally starts to give away his knowledge and ideas. Lionel takes notes, plenty of notes. After 40 minutes (Wally is pleased he got some "extra time"), Lionel tells Wally "That was one of the best presentations I've ever seen. How much will that be?" Wally stammers, "4 thousand give or take a couple of hundred". Lionnel flinches. Wally says "Well I could probably do it for three and a half". Lionel sighs, "That's still too expensive". "Wally offers to do the project for 3 thousand". Lionel asks Wally to send him a proposal "But I need it by Friday" he adds.

Wally leaves excited thinking he has a prospect and sets to work on documenting his ideas. He shelves some client work, gives up his evenings and doesn't get to put his two children to sleep for the rest of the week flushed with the rush of success.

He gets the proposal done by Friday morning (a bit of a masterpiece in Wally's opinion), bikes the proposal over and calls Lionel to let him know its coming. Lionel's PA, Gertrude Gatekeeper says "He's in a meeting. Thanks for letting him know. I'll pass on your message, Have a good weekend." Wally leaves it a few days and calls on Wednesday. Voice mail. He tries again on Friday. Voice mail. The weekend is a bit of a damp squib as a result. He calls Monday, Gertie says he's in a meeting but says she knows "Lionel was impressed by your ideas". Wally is back up to cloud 9, well nearer cloud 8 but he feels better.

Another week goes by, 2 weeks, 3 weeks. Wally decides to have another stab at Lionel so he does his research. He looks at Lionel's web site and to his shock and amazement 14 of his ideas have been incorporated into the new look and feel website for Lyre, Lyre Pants on Fire & Co Ltd. His ideas! Delivered by his main competitor, Stan Smiley of Smiley, Slimey & Slick. Wally's ideas. Given freely. Wally's valuable ideas, stolen.

Downcast, Wally feels winded and betrayed. He struggles on for a few days, he's short tempered with his wife and kids, each time the phone rings he panics in case it's the bank. Then the phone rings, he screens the call; it's Finn Fibber, the Marketing Director of Black Hole Ltd wanting to discuss their web site. A little too eagerly he picks up and makes his excuses "I was on my mobile finishing off a call, what can I do for you?". "Wally come in and let's discuss some of your ideas for our web site". Wally is back in the saddle, he's happy again, life is looking up.

1. When did Wally first give control to Lionel?
2. When did he start down "Wimp Junction"? What simple thing should he have done to avoid it?
3. What simple thing should he have done at the first meeting?
4. Who should do 70% of the talking you or the prospect? What did Wally do in that first meeting?
5. How much information did Wally leave with from his meeting with Lionel?
6. How could Wally have known Lionel was lying, that he was being squeezed for free consulting?
7. How could he have predicted this outcome?
8. Why should his alarm bells have rung when Lionel said "I'm looking forward to meeting you"?
9. Should Wally have refused to make a presentation at that first meeting?
10. What did Wally fail to do at the start of the meeting to ensure he was treated as Lionel's equal?
11. What did Wally fail to do at the start of the meeting to ensure he got a clear "yes" or "no" decision? Why didn't he he know Lionel intended for him to "hurry up and wait"? You hurry and I make you wait!
12. What did Wally fail to do at the end of his initial phone call of the meeting to ensure was treated fairly?
13. How could he have easily avoided the voicemail jail trap?
14. How could he have straightened Lionel's backbone?
15. What do the words "he was very impressed" really mean?
16. How could he have controlled the competitive landscape substantially better?
17. Why was he desperate in the first place?
18. What could he have done to protect his knowledge?
19. What are weekends for?

Wally works too hard, finds selling tough, hates to cold call and struggles to forecast, let alone close business. Does Wally's story feel familiar to you?

(c) Sandler Sales Institute, 2006

Happy selling!

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