The Curious Seller

Curiosity may have killed the cat but it makes a seller’s wallet fat. Ok maybe a little bit silly, but also very true.

A lot of times we approach situations with an agenda. There is a perceived outcome that we want to attain and we work to drive the conversation in the direction that we want.

To sell effectively, we need to approach a prospect with a blank slate. Assuming that we know the mindset, situation or needs surrounding a prospect put us, as sellers, in a position to be wrong more than right. There may be some general similarities between prospects, but no two are identical.

Using a blank slate in prospecting allows us to ask questions and gather information without bias. We can be naturally curious about the prospect and their needs. Authentic responses will always play better than scripted ones.

To put this in context, let’s define some basic framework of a sales cycle. Selling is everything that happens prior to asking for the business. Closing is everything that happens after.

This newsletter is focusing on selling. Not on closing. Closing requires a bit of persuasion. That is setup in the curious selling process.

Let Your Colors Fly

Sometimes in selling, sellers put up a wall between them and their prospects. Likewise, buyers put up walls against sellers.

For sellers, this usually happens because they do not want to face rejection. It is easier to here a ‘no’, ‘no thanks’, or ‘not interested’ if you are already twice removed from the conversation.

If the sellers authentic self is in the conversation, the rejection might feel real. It might trigger an emotion or an emotional response.

From a buyers perspective, they are putting up walls to shutdown sellers because they are being interrupted. It is also possible that ‘no’ is a default response. A lot of parents can relate to that.

Buyers also do not want to feel like they are being sold. No one likes to be told what to think. We are all very much more comfortable coming up with our own solutions and conclusions.

So how do we break down the buyer’s barriers?

Be authentic.

Act like humans.

Treat the buyer as a human.

As seller’s we need to have an understanding that most decisions and responses are emotional. They are not designed to hurt the seller. With that understanding, we can approach the buyer with a curiosity designed to determine the buyer’s need and awareness of a solution.

Prospect Like Dating

Prospecting is like dating. It is the process of find people who you want to be in a professional relationship with.

It is important to have standards for your clients. Don’t be that seller that will do business with anything with a pulse. Bad deals will crush your business. Have standards. Learn to say ‘no.’

Treat prospects in a similar manner to how you would treat someone you are personally interested in. Approach prospects with the same level of curiosity that you would a date.

If you approached someone you are interested in and they told you ‘I am all set,’ that natural response would be to clarify. Are they in a relationship? Are they just not interested in you? Are they utterly crazy and just want to save you from getting hurt?

We cannot know unless we ask. This holds true for prospecting.

When we get objections, we have to engage with the objection. Ask follow up questions. Be curious, not offended. This helps us build a profile of the prospect.

Objections can mean a lot of things. ‘Not interested’ can mean ‘not now’ just as easily as it can mean ‘I just resigned a contract.’ Neither of those responses would disqualify a prospect.

‘Not now’ means we interrupted them. ‘I just resigned’ means our timing is off. Again, we cannot know which is correct unless we clarify the objection.

The more we respectfully probe the response the more respect we will get in return. This is why it is good to drop the agenda. If a seller is pushing toward their goal, the questions will be skewed to achieve that goal.

If the seller approaches the prospect with a blank slate, there is an opportunity to hear the objection, reflect, and engage with the purpose of pulling out the real reason for the response. The goal should be to work with someone we can solve a problem for. Not to work with everyone because we need sales.

70-30 Rule

Listening is a seller’s greatest tool. I think the 70-30 Rule is a good metric to strive for. As sellers, we should talk about 30% of the time. The rest is the prospect’s room to converse.

Its hard to identify the prospect’s need if we are not trying to hear it. And seriously, how frustrated would you be if you were not heard. Listening helps us understand our prospective clients and allows us to respond in a way the develops rapport.

Plus I live by the old adage, if they are talking they are buying.

Ask questions that get the prospect to open up. Steer clear of single word questions. Open ended questions fuel conversations. Conversations will close deals.

Take Aways

Authenticity helps break down barriers with buyers and sellers. Human-to-human sales is the modern way to sell. To be treated like a human, treat others like they are human.

Drop the agendas and approach prospects with a blank slate. Be genuinely curious about the prospect and their situation. Carry the same mentality you would if you were personally interested in the prospect.

The more we can respectfully draw out information. The more value we can provide. Providing value sells.