When most people think of a salesperson, an image of a stereotypical used-car salesman usually comes to mind.
Sales is so much more than that. It’s essentially just a conversation between you and a proposal to see if your services are a good fit.
You’re not supposed to push anything. If you believe you can help, submit a proposal. If you cannot, try to refer them to someone who is a better fit.
Here’s what Chris Do, the founder of The Futur, discusses in a typical sales call:
- Current state: where the prospect is today
- Desired future state: where they want to be after this project
- Obstacles: what prevents them from getting there without you
- Success Metrics: how they will determine they’ve reached their desired future status
- Value: how much the outcome is worth to the prospect
Once you have this information, repeat exactly what they said with their verbiage, plus “did I miss anything?”
Then follow with, “If you had {{ describe your solution }}, then would you be willing to move forward?”
That’s what a great sales call should look like.
The takeaway
SALES = Serve Ask Listen Empathize Summarize