As a sales professional, are your customer interactions like a "full-body dry heave"? If you recall, Elaine was convinced she was a great dancer. My guess is that you too are confident in your sales "dancing". But are you truly dancing or simply stepping on toes?
Chris Caird, my esteemed Sales Leader partner, and I were commiserating and pontificating over a beer last Friday evening. As you can imagine, we were discussing sales skills and what makes a great sales rep. Chris is famous for describing customer interactions as "the dance" and, unlike Elaine Benes, Chris is a great dancer! The best sales reps know how to dance. Good reps know how to dance, but only seem to be able to dance with one or two customer types. Poor reps have no idea how to dance. They talk too much and have no idea how to listen. They have no idea how to be a chameleon - and the best reps are truly chameleons.
Here are the top 5 skills you will need to know to "dance":
- Likeability: You have to be able to build instant rapport and be likeable. When you're likeable, the customer becomes comfortable with you. Comfortable is extremely important!
- Listen Intently: Pay attention. If all you can do, while the customer is talking, is think about your next statement, you're NOT listening. The customer will notice and soon they will not like you (See #1)
- Quick On Your Feet: As you're listening you must be able to discern, develop, and dance
- Discern: What the customer is really saying
- Develop: A response or statement based upon what the customer said.
- Dance: As your conversation continues, you will repeat the steps above. Sometimes you will lead. Other times you will follow - just like a dance!
- Ask For the Next Dance: Never walk away from a customer conversation without a next action.
- Be a Dance Student: Practice, practice, practice.
Stop being ignorant about your dancing skills. Like Elaine, you probably think your dancing skills are just fine. Stop dancing like Elaine Benes.
No comments:
Post a Comment