Mr. Polished Bombs the Big One… for my column in Vet Advantage Magazine
Have you ever been impressed and disappointed in the same moment? Is it possible?
I was recently invited a to a sales call and found myself and impressed and disappointed in the same 30-minute period. This case study is a little different as I was asked to attend the sales presentation as a partner of the potential buyer (a real switch for me!) along with an experienced female manager of a company for which I have been a consultant for the last two years. My client runs a very successful organization, empathetic towards their people as well as the customers. If this is beginning to sound like any of your clients keep reading…
In this case study my client was entertaining entering a new niche for their business. She is a wonderful client and she had really done her homework. She was aware of the new business segment, the market, and had deeply researched the alternatives. She had even put out feelers for how they would add representatives and re-organize their sales department. You see that is what good businesses do. She was looking to make a relatively quick decision on products for the new niche. Actually she had contacted the company for the meeting in the first place.
And then the sales call. The sales representative was polished and professional. He had a quick smile and was very charismatic. He clearly had been in the industry a number of years, and knew his products inside and out. At this point I was impressed. And he definitely had a plan for this sales presentation. After some small talk and polished smiles he got into his presentation. The key word here is “His” presentation.
He spent 10 minutes (that seemed like 3 hrs,) on the successful history of his company, for the next five to eight minutes he introduced about 10 Spec Sheets (that seemed like 100,) and then spent five minutes detailing testimonials from six or seven of their clients. At one point when we attempted to interrupt him he suggested “I will probably answer your question in the next segment of my presentation, just hold on to that question.” My client and I looked at each other, and sat back hoping it would all be over soon. Reminded me of my last root canal where I had the same thoughts.
Yes, he had a plan, and I am sure that in his mind he had executed it perfectly, as he had many times before. The problem was, it was a bad plan.
Do you remember the infamous line from the movie…”You had me at hello?” In this case he lost us at about Spec Sheet number three. It kind of reminded me of one of those dolls we used to have as kids where you would pull the string and the doll would spout out the recorded line regardless of the question. It may have been the longest twenty minutes of my life. Can you imagine how my client felt about the value of her time?
He (Mr. Polished,) assumed that we wanted to hear or even needed to hear this information. The fact of the matter was that my client had already done the research and had briefed me with the same information about a half an hour before “Mr. Polished” ever drove into their parking lot. It was not so much that he was condescending in his message, it is just that that he never took the time or asked what we really needed to know, and then it came off as kind of condescending.
My client reacted after the meeting, “So sorry Mike, I am not sure this is the company or the products for us, let’s keep looking…”
Had “Mr. Polished” asked some ‘Open Questions’ to begin the meeting, I am confident he would have had a new client. And in this case a really good client for a long time. Had Mr. Polished actually asked, “You have a great reputation and I am sure you have done some homework, before I begin; what have you researched so far?” Or “What are your expectations or key areas of concern?” Or, “I am sure there are some anxieties in considering a new business partner, where shall I begin?”
For me, like you, hopefully a student of consultative sales, it was incredibly disappointing. Actually it as a lesson in “Crash and Burn.” And sadly, none of it had anything to do with his company or products because they were great.
The paradox is that I am sure he thought he was well prepared. But his preparation was centered on his plan, not the needs of the potential client. So here is the ultimate question, “What is your plan?” Any good plan begins with a planned series of Open Questions, and a strong listening effort on your part. Do you have yours ready?
To be a true consultative salesperson you need to know what the client expects. What makes them tick? What are they true needs outside of the specific features? Had he asked about our expectations, he might have heard, “We are looking to attract new customers.” Then he could address how other customers (possibly with testimonials,) had used his products to successfully grow their business as well.
Possibly he might have heard, “We are looking for a new supplier as we are uncertain about in our current vendor,” he might have responded with, “Most of our clients have been with us for ten years or more.” Had he heard, “More of our customers are asking about this type of service or product,” he may have responded with information on his training materials and training sessions to get staff and customers up to speed.”
Ok by now you get it. First do your research on possible new clients. Next, plan three open questions potential to open each new presentation. Discuss them in your sales meetings with your peers. Then prepare a plan on how you will respond with solutions to the identified needs. Ask and listen. It is not about us, it is about them. Ask Open Questions and I am confident you will close more new business. Remember, the best salespeople are not necessarily great talkers; they are great listeners.
Comments to Mike at mxmm@bellsouth.net