This fall, our associates recall experiences from the events, conferences, and panels we attend by pulling five thoughts related to business growth, Readiness, and Industry Intelligence. This is the eighth and final blog post based on our fall lineup of events!
I attended the Sales 3.0. Conference last week in Cape Canaveral, and it was – quite literally – a blast! I was afforded the chance to witness a rocket launch in person for the first time, received a firsthand tour of the Kennedy Space Center, and was fortunate enough to learn from several outstanding sales professionals while in Florida.
I also had the opportunity to network and make some new connections at the conference, which was loaded with information and opportunities. The theme of the conference, “Skyrocket Sales in 2023,” was prevalent throughout, and it touched on ways sales leaders and professionals can boost their numbers – and their success – over the coming year.
1. Words matter
This is one of the most fundamental lessons we are taught from an early age. But how can certain word choices and language be leveraged in sales or partner relationships?
For example, one word we talked about was “collaboration.” You can use “collaboration” as a way to connect rather than using terms like: pitches, presentations, touch points, or sales discussions. Ask, “How can we collaborate?”: It is far less threatening and much more inviting, and it also indicates that you are working together with someone toward a common goal.
2. Mindset, skillset, toolset
Another important takeaway from the conference was understanding three things that make sales professionals grow and see success: mindset, skillset, and toolset.
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- Mindset – Sales professionals need to enter their first meeting with a potential buyer with the buyer’s industry in mind. How mentally “ready” are you to have this conversation? Are you going into this interaction well-informed and confident? Mindset helps set the table for the rest of the sales relationship, so being prepared is paramount.
- Skillset – What are some of the most important skills for you to hone as a sales professional? Relationship-building is arguably the most fundamental, and it helps contribute to becoming a trusted advisor to your customers. You also need to be knowledgeable about your product and its solutions, so the value of being a great researcher – and a great listener – cannot be understated. Good listening helps you learn from the buyer what you may not have known prior to your interaction, and that information can be used to help bolster your solution.
- Toolset – Of course, it is difficult to approach sales interactions with the best mindset and skillset when you don’t have the right tools to set you up for success. I mentioned that being “ready” is important – and having a tool such as Industry Intelligence provides you with the industry insights, talking points, and preparation essentials to help you feel more confident when meeting with customers. Knowing the issues and challenges a customer’s industry faces before that first meeting will help build trust and credibility as well as drive the relationship forward.
>> Read more about the importance of being “sales ready” in our new eBook, “Unlock Sales Readiness: Advice from the Experts,” by clicking here.
3. Deploying a one-up strategy
A session from author, speaker, and sales coach Anthony Iannarino emphasized the importance of knowing when to deploy a “one-up” strategy. Essentially, a “one-up” strategy entails the sales professional distinguishing the difference between what they know and what their buyer knows, as well as highlighting the need for “information disparity” (“I know something you don’t know!”).
In the modern state of the sales landscape, people don’t believe that sales professionals are going to be helpful enough – and most of the time, they are right. So, it is your obligation as a sales professional and someone who is offering services to a buyer to be a “giver” and bring something to the table that is valuable from an industry insights perspective. Your buyers will thank you later!
4. Focus on solving the problem
I pulled a quote from one of our sessions that I thought was very useful and powerful: “Your focus is to solve a problem that is on your decision-maker’s whiteboard.”
If you can identify the primary concerns of your buyer before the first meeting, you will find it easier to connect with them. Your motive is transparent, so trying to fake it will prove a futile strategy. “Showing you know” tells the buyer that you not only put the time and effort into learning about their industry, it shows that you care about offering them a solution.
Recently, there has been a substantial decline in customers’ propensity to talk with a sales representative about their solution, so showing your buyer you are in the know, even before the first touch, makes him or her more likely to open up during a conversation and explore a sales relationship with you.
5. Skyrocketing sales
I mentioned before that we had the rare opportunity to witness the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch, and it was incredible! Throughout our country’s history, rocket launches and space travel have always been viewed as a means to bring people together. People celebrate a good, successful rocket launch, and that was the case here: Everyone on the beach was on common ground as we collectively viewed the launch – in awe, inspired, and proud of our nation’s accomplishments.
Like a rocket launch, the focus of sales leaders should be set on things that will help pull their sales and marketing teams together – such as timely sales training, coaching and strategy sessions, collaborative campaign launches, revenue acceleration measures, strategic partnerships, and new (but efficiency-driving) technologies – and they will see a more engaged, informed, and successful sales team as a result. By investing in the necessary tools and practices to more effectively facilitate engagement and relationship-building (including the incorporation of timely and relevant industry insights from Vertical IQ!), sales professionals can expect to watch their sales skyrocket!
>> For more information on how Vertical IQ’s Industry Intelligence can help you “skyrocket your sales” for 2023 and beyond, click here!
Image credit: Paul Hock, Vertical IQ