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Why I'm So Past Reading Sales Blogs on Linkedin

 

K, so I'm a fan of selling, whenever I come across a blog or an article about sales, I'm all in for learning something new. 

On  Friday, I ran across this The Danger of Using Legacy Sales Techniques in 2017 .  Personally, I'm sick and tired of reading sales/selling articles from people that don't have end user sales experience.  Go ahead check out this persons LinkedIn bio here.  I'll admit the bio is impressive and he seems to be a successful and great person,  however where is the damn sales experience?

Is hard closing a bad thing? 

What exactly is hard closing?  If it's asking for the order more than twice, then I guess most of us that are successful are hard closers.  You don't have to be pushy or rude to ask for the order on your timeline.

ABC

Delving deeper in to the blog, I also disagree with "Why always be closing doesn't work anymore".  Closing comes in many shapes and forms in sales, you could be closing for the next appointment, or performing a trial close to see if the client is truly interested in your product or service.  Heck, when was the last time you walked in an office and the CEO or buyer stated, "OK, I want to buy from you, write it up and I'll sign it"!  Uh, never happened in my thirty six years of sales.

I understand that the process of sales has changed, we as sales people need to educate the buyer, find their pain, and provide data that will help the buyer make their decision. 

What pisses me off the most is that the writer has not clue about selling on a daily basis.  The ups and downs, those clients that call you in, along with six other vendors and then leads you down a path that never ends.  Countless follow ups, emails and phone calls go unanswered.  Eventually we get the hint and we go away. This is what you get from being wishy washy about closing. 

Rude Closers

Now, I do know some "rude" closers, and I'm sure most of us do. I have no stomach for those sales people that lie, cheat and steal to get an order.   I ran across an existing client the other day, that stated she hated the sales person from "XYZ", because they pressured her that she has to order NOW.  Instead of the writer using "hard closers", maybe he should have used "rude" closers.

Why We Need to ABC

What I can tell you is that we always need to be closing. Whether it's for the next phone call, the next webinar, or the next meeting.   We have to take the client to that next step, why not close for a demonstration of your products or services.  Why not schedule that next webinar, why not ask if they are thinking about leasing or buying.  These are legit trial closes.  If you don't ask, you don't get. 

I wonder if the writer of this blog ever had to make a sale in order to keep the lights on, make payroll or feed the family.  From the looks of the bio, I'm guessing no. I'm tired of people who have not sold a thing in their lives stating that if you're a good closer (hard closers are good closers) that you are ruining your personal reputation and ruining your brand.

Personally, I would rather read blogs and articles from sales people that are "living the dream" and helping me with information that will help me close more orders. 

I'm not an order taker, I'm a sales person. If that's the definition of Legacy Sales then I guess I'm it.

-=Good Selling=-

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Comments (6)

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While that blog has some valid points, much like Art, I'm more inclined to think "when's the last time that writer took off their headset and actually pushed some pavement or had a face to face meeting?".  While there is something to be said about not hard closing all the time, it's got to be done but with some skill.  In my nine years doing this, each sale is different in that there are some customer that want to be hard closed and others that have their own way of making a decision.

One overwhelming thing I've heard in my time is that I sold them.  While my companies tenure, reputation, service and products all were influence's, I was the reason they bought.  This is where I agree with the article's fourth point.  I've competed against many whom I've been told lost the sale for themselves.  There's a certain tact for handling a customer, earning their trust and then their business.  If you've got a ruined brand rep, be it the company or the rep, your battle will be much harder.  

Much like Kyocera Guy, if you go into every sale knowing it helps pay your bills the customer will eventually smell the desperation.  However if you go in with the mindset (better yet, it actually being true) of "I nailed my quarterly number and it's only the second week of the second month", then you'll have a confident swagger that they pick up on.  

At the end of it all though it's knowing your product and the process. While our industry may not be the favorite of any decision maker, make it easy and fun for them.  And when the deal is signed, know you gave it an honest, moral effort.  We all will lose deals (Ted Williams batted .300 right?), but it's how you lose and then find out why that will make you better and keep you in the hunt time and again.  

Seven days until the end of the first month of the new year, where's your numbers at?

Kyocera Guy

I appreciate the comment!  Glad you rocked it with a 19% increase in revenue. 

I would rather read content from you and others that are actively selling rather from those that are either too far removed from sales or those that have never sold anything.

Ty again for the comment!

I guess I will be the one who steps outside the box here and rock the boat a little.

I'm not saying that this Blog is 100% correct but he has some good points. I am looking at my numbers from the year before...up 19% and thinking to myself what was the biggest change I made last year to get that kind of a bump.  I made quite a few changes, I worked hard of course but I worked hard in 2015 too.  One of the biggest changes I made that when interacting with my prospects I worked like I didn't need the money even though I did.  I never gave a discounts I only made adjustments and I closed with techniques that weren't really closes not give the slightest hint that I needed their money (but I really did). I used "legacy techniques" as well but only on a very limited basis.  

Of course you have to get move the sales forward and at some point ask for the business.   Finding creative ways to get prospects from point "A" appointment to point "C" Close is the real challenge.  The biggest problem with legacy selling is that it's legacy.  If 90% of reps in your territory are selling the same way and only relying on legacy techniques and you consistently step out of the toolbox you stay ahead of the game.  

Oh yes I still lose sales but not as many as I did in 2015 it seems and I still get beat by "rude salesman" that lie, cheat and steal to get orders but that will always happen.

"People don't like to be sold, but they love to buy."     Jeffrey Gitomer

 

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