Each and every business has to have sales. This is obvious. However, the sales process we take a day in and day out is rarely challenged. Does your business need some new steps to ensure value is the cornerstone of the sales process? Today’s guest is Andy Paul. Andy has extensive experience with sales from his work with Silicon Valley start-ups. We talk about sales from a new perspective. Enjoy.
Target Audience: Paul coaches and mentors CEO’s. He targets small to mid-size enterprises
“Use your prospect’s time wisely” ~Andy Paul
Some of the biggest challenges Paul has encountered with the team in achieving their potentials…
Selling value: Paul has seen that typically, people on his team will initially deal with things in a traditional fashion. They talk about themselves rather than ask the prospects questions. As a leader, Paul teaches his team that customers have a limited time to invest in them. His team learns how to maximize their time with prospects to make sure they are receiving a value that helps them move in the direction of a decision.
“Ditch the corporate pitch” ~Andy Paul
Start with Questions….
This gets them thinking about their business. They deserve to be first. How do you give prospects value? Get them to think about their objectives.
Here are 2-3 questions to provoke goal-oriented thinking in prospects:
Ask:
- Where do you want to be in 12-18 months?
- Where are you now?
- What’s your plan for getting from where you are now to where you want to be in 12-18 months?
The conversation is NOT about your pitch. And they probably already know about you (they’ve probably seen your website). So, don’t talk about yourself. Use their time wisely. Sit back and let them talk. Then bring in the follow-up question. “Tell me more about that…”
Instead of checking in on them and interrupting their day, do this instead:
- Create a google alert with keywords – Google will send you emails with links related to those keywords.
- Send them a follow-up email that contains something valuable pertaining to them.
- Then ask them if they are free on a specific day to discuss further.
Practical and Actionable:
Try Micro- Positioning= By transforming your value proposition into a 5- word statement. The goal is to make your message so clear and concise that your prospects reach an epiphany.
[spp-tweet tweet=”“Time is everything” ~Andy Paul @realAndyPaul ”]
Resources and Links:
- Official Website
- Check out his Podcast on sales, marketing and leadership
