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| ISSUE №151 · SALES |
Sales Is Really Hard - No Lie
I've been selling in one way or another since the early 90s. It's really hard, no doubt about it. Practically everything has changed in the way B2B and especially agency sales work since I started my 1st agency in 2001. There is so much more tech, and data, and insight available which has changed from sales from networking-driven to information-driven.
In every way that I can think of, that has made sales HARDER.
It used to be that many salespeople were so good at meeting people and were comfortable with small talk and sociability. But as information has become easier and easier to accumulate, it has separated a little bit of the human connection, IMHO. The game changed from People Person to Precise Person. Prospecting outreaches and sales pitches are supposed to be relevant and on point.
So Why Are So Many Sellers Asshats?
About 100 issues ago, I sent out a 3,500 word tome called Don’t Be That Guy (Or Girl): A New Way To Sell. In it was all the stuff that I thought you ought to do and all the stuff you ought to avoid while you were trying to sell.
Those things eventually became the WTF Sales Method & it led to the birth of Discovery Lab and Call Lab. They are the best agency call prep & sales call review tools for agencies - because they are made just for agencies, they are FREE (and I made them, so I will admit a small bias, perhaps).
In all of those methodologies and tools, I have consistently put a huge emphasis on deep client and market knowledge, empathy, leading rather than pushing, being helpful before asking, and making the process about the prospect and clients' needs rather than your desire to make a sale. But apparently not everyone has read that issue, examined my methodology, or listened to ANYTHING I’ve said.
Can you believe the nerve of these people? I’ve designed a terrific sales method that puts understanding and cooperation at the heart of things…AND THEY TRY TO USE SKEEVY, HIGH-PRESSURE, BS 2018 ERA TACTICS.
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Let Me Tell You A Quick Story…
Like any business, sometimes I need to buy services. in the last two weeks, I've been looking for two distinct services. It doesn't matter what they are, but the sales process for each of them was horrendous.
SERVICE 1: This is a high-ticket service that deals with financial stuff. A friend of mine, who is knowledgeable about such things, mentioned that he had a good opinion of this firm. So I filled out a contact form - at 10:45 PM on a Saturday.
Within seconds, I received an e-mail, 2 texts & less than 5 minutes later, a call. Did I mention it was Saturday night? By the following morning, I had received 3 more e-mails all expressing how important it was that I call them back RIGHT now.
On Sunday, before I had even finished my 1st cup of coffee, I get another call from this company. Immediately a call center worker launched into a script about how important I was to them and how well they would treat me once I uploaded all of the required documents.
They hadn’t asked about me, what I wanted/needed, or anything…they just wanted to make sure that I filled out their application as soon as possible. After all things might be changing and they can’t guarantee that they will have the same great opportunities available if I delay for even 1 minute.
I told him I wasn’t interested in working with them because of the bad experience. I asked him to take me off of their contact and call lists. Since then, over a dozen emails and calls.
SERVICE 2: I responded to a LinkedIn DM from someone…and, TBH, I rarely do that…but as they say, I was “in-market”. I went to their scheduling link, and the page text was full of warnings about no-shows. That gave me the heebie-jeebies but I booked. And then the barrage of reminder emails and texts…literally 10 over 4 days…
The call was worse. The rep asked what I did. (Zero research…) Then then went into a script where - after 15 seconds of saying nothing meaningful, he told me pricing and asked if I was ready to roll. I told him that I had questions…he listened and said that they’ve worked with people in my category before so there would be no issues. I told him about concerns I had. He said that they’ve worked with people in my category before so there would be no issues. I asked him how they would solve a particular problem. He said that they’ve worked with people in my category before so there would be no issues.
I told him that this wasn’t for me…he was shocked.
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Here’s How To Take Off Your Asshat
Here are some truly simple ways to not be an asshat:
Do some research about your prospect and their business. There are a bazillion tools (including my Agency Growth Tools) that can help you be sharp and relevant.
Be curious & ask questions - not because you are “qualifying” someone, but rather because you are freakin’ interested.
Realize that sales isn’t a transaction, but rather a relationship that benefits both of you. In most sales processes, you are going to be in contact with one another for weeks or months. You might as well get to know your fellow traveler and enjoy the journey.
Faux urgency, and expiring deals and high pressure don’t really improve your business much. Any increase in conversion is usually offset by an increase in churn.
Your “offer” doesn’t really matter - what does matter is that you understand the prospect/client’s need well enough to show the value that you deliver.
You don’t need to swing for the fences…it doesn’t hurt to have contract opt-outs or milestone checks in any engagement. You might want the surety of a 6-12-24 month agreement, but if the client isn’t happy, it is very unlikely that you are going to go to the mattresses (shoutout The Godfather) and sue your client for specific performance…so you have to earn your keep anyways.
There are some folks who say that a “No” is just a “Not now”. Well, sometimes it is, and sometimes it just means “No”. If that’s how your journey ends with a prospect or client, be generous with them. Say thanks and check in on them in 3 or 6 months…it’s almost never personal.
Get permission to move forward. In almost every instance, the seller is moving faster than the buyer. But if you haven’t used a Q-Tip in a while and your ears are clogged, you might not hear the “slow down, I need more information” or “I need to bring someone else into the discussion”. If your speed is mis-matched, there is going to be friction. (See Permission Gates for more info)
Really understand what your prospect wants…it isn’t a giant set of deliverables - it’s something more. The CMO of Chime posted about what marketers really want from agencies & of course, I wrote about it.
Don’t be a YAFA (Yet Another Fucking Agency)
Your Boss Will Think You’re an Ecom Genius
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That’s It - You Don’t Have To Sell Like An Asshat. Sell Like You’d Want To Be Sold To…
We all want to feel seen, respected, understood, valued, trusted, and appreciated. That's not a really tall order. I bet you can do that.
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